From Paris
by CeCeLa
Summary: In an attempt to regain it's New World Order status, the U.S employes Hei and Mao to retrieve a French doll that was stolen from them. However, as they dig deeper into the truth, they find that secrets and lies are only the beginning. Hei x Mao x OC
1. From Paris: Paris

From Paris:

The wind whistled down the avenue along the Seine River, carrying with it wet leaves and the sent of water. People walk aimlessly down the street, departing down different alleyways to their own destination. The ancient stone landmarks have become commonplace to the people of France. They have always been there and will always be there. But tourist stop with camera's capturing moments in history through the architecture. Street performers are in full blown as the afternoon and evening crowd come out to play. Lovers carry their locks to the bridge of love, hoping for everlasting bliss. A woman walks past the crowds, carrying with her a single envelope. The wind carried the tale end of her candy red summer coat. Her matching red sunglasses reflected the bright rays of the sun. Strains of her brown hair was caught on the wind as well, blowing back first then forward. She tucked the lose strains behind her ear, walking across Pont de Neuf. Dangling from her neck was a small wooden cross that tossed back and forth across her chest as she walked. The clicking of her heels over the cement bridge was drowned out by the noise of a man playing the accordion. A small smile tugged at her corner of her pale pink lips, and she nodded in the man's direction. The musician smiled back as the lady kept on her way. Passing a host of little restaurants, all filled with lively natives and foreigners, she turned into a narrow alley. She slowed her pace noticing footsteps behind her, yet the woman didn't turn around. She turned again down another alley, the footsteps in close range behind her. As she maneuvered her way through the alleys of Paris, the crowds of people began to disappear. The wind picked up again, leaves blew past her in circular motions and when she noticed it was just her and the person following her left, she stopped.

"You're not very subtle are you?" She asked in a playful tone, her back still to her purser. She heard the chuckle of a man and more footsteps.

"Is there any need too?" He asked, walking around to face her. "You're a lot younger than I was expecting." She smiled, switching the envelope between her fingers. She crossed one arm over her chest while placing the hand from the other arm on her cheek.

"Does that bother you Etienne?" she asked him. Etienne grunted looking behind him, then back to the woman. She was still smiling at him.

"Stop that," he said to her "Contractors shouldn't smile or show any kind of emotion." She shrugged and let out a small grunt in protest.

"You shouldn't believe everything you heard Etienne. At any rate," she held the envelope up "this is what we're here for, yes?"

"So I guess I shouldn't believe the rumors about you, La. How old are you anyway, 17? 18?" he asked, eyeing the young woman. La switched her weight to one side. She lifted her glasses, revealing her honey brown eyes.

"Should we test it on you?" she asked, looking straight at him, without a smile.

"You got the info so I guess that's good enough to convince me." Etienne dug into his pocket, retrieving a USB disk. He waved it at her with a smirk on his lips. "Info for info right?" La smiled and held out the envelope.

"Right." She said and handed Etienne the envelope. He took it and felt the thickness of it's content.

"Good. Good." he said and looked at La just as those honey brown eyes turned red. His hand, against his own will began to hand La back the envelope and the USB disk.

"What the-what the hell's going on. We had a deal." he yelled as his other hand unwillingly grabbed his neck. La put both things in her coat pocket and put her sunglasses down.

"Yes, well, there has been a small change in plans. It seems you're untrustworthy and we can't have such a risk roaming France now can we?" she replied and watched as Etienne struggled to stop from killing himself.

"You….you…bitch…" he let out falling to his knees and tightened the grip on his neck. La frowned walking closer to Etienne. She bent down so that they were eye to eye.

"You planned to give this information to the CIA. This is your own fault for your betrayal to us." Etienne's eyes began to swell as he squeezed out the last ounce of his oxygen. Falling over, La began to search him for any more information about them.

"Is it done?" a voice called from behind her. It was a man, fairly tall with blond hair. He walked over to La, looking at the dead Etienne.

"Of course, and I got the information he stole here on this USB disk." La said standing to face her partner. She dusted off her heels and dug into her other pocket, pulling out a music player. Placing the headphones in her ear, she turned on the southing yet rousing sound of Sidney Bechet's Petite Fleur as loud as her player could go. She walked over to the bigger man who held his arm out for her.

"After I finish my payment, Mathieu, I want to grab some lunch ok?" Mathieu nodded as he and La left Etienne on the cool cobblestone of the Parisian alley.

*********************************************************************************************************

La turned on her left side in her bed. The windows were open and she looked at the stars outside. She lay thinking about what Etienne had said to her some days ago. "_Contractors shouldn't smile…" _She sat up, letting the soft blue cotton sheets slide down to her waist. Her upper body was exposed to the cool night air. She shivered.

"Why? Why aren't we allowed to feel? To smile…" La pushed the covers from her legs and rolled out of bed. Her studio flat was on the top floor of the apartment building, no one would see her standing in her bra looking out of the window. She leaned on the window pane.

"The stars look so beautiful tonight." she thought to herself. She looked down at the people walking, some contractors like her and some human.

"Must we be so separate?" she said aloud but soon dismissed her own question. They had to be separate, even if she didn't think so. Going to her wardrobe, she put on a shirt as well as a small jacket. She grabbed the closes pair of pants and her keys and felt her flat. Mathieu was in the flat next door. She paused by the door for a moment then kept going. Walking down the hall to the elevator, she wondered how many people in her building knew she was a contractor. To the untrained eye, she look like any other human being. La clicked the button and wait for the elevator to come.

Ever since contractors came, there has been a split. A split that she didn't quiet understand. Was it necessary for humans and contractors to be separated? When the elevator door opened a man walked out and smiled at her.

"Going out for a walk mademoiselle?" he asked her. La smiled.

"Yes, the weather is so nice. It's calling me." the man laughed a little and so did she.

'I suppose. My bed is calling me though. Good night." he said leaving the elevator while she got into it. She pressed the ground floor button and closed her eyes. The old elevator jerked and made a shrieking sound before going down. It rattled but the movement doesn't phase her. When the elevator comes to a complete stop, La walked outside. People passed her by but she continued walking into the cool night air until she reached Belle Fleur, a local bar.

"La, what a surprise." the bartender said as La sat down on the nearest stool.

"Daemon, you have a crown tonight I see." she smiled and crossed her arms over each other and rested them on the wooden bar. Daemon flipped his long black hair back and reached for a glass.

"It's about that time of the year you know. People from all over the world come to visit Paris." they both looked around the bar, noticing people from all nationalities.

"It's amazing though right. Paris is still so important." La said while daemon poured a glass of Grenache. The red liquid swirled around the glass as daemon filled it just enough to where La liked it. She grabbed the glass, swirling around the wine then sniffing it. The spicy aroma perked her senses and she signed happily.

"You sure love your spiced wines La." Daemon joked as she took a sip. "And besides it's odd me seeing you here without your doll. Where is he?

"I think Mathieu is sleeping. Usually if I leave he'd follow soon behind but I think he's resting up a bit now." La sat the glass down and crossed her fingers around it. She looked at her surroundings again, observing the different faces. Who was human? Who was a contractor? People were talking, drinking and being merry.

"I wonder…" she said aloud and Daemon looked at her for a moment. "Do you think the world would be any different if we couldn't tell the difference between humans and contractors?" she looked again to Daemon.

"Well, I supposed we would all just be humans then. Or we,"

"Can I get another drink?" a man at the far end of the bar called. La nodded for Daemon to go ahead and serve him. She took another sip of her wine, enjoying the burning tingle of alcohol on her tongue. _There isn't any rational reason why I like wine. I just…enjoy it. Despite being a contractor I like to do things that I simple enjoy_. She thought to herself. When Daemon finally came back they continued talking and time passed them by as more and more people entered the bar.

"I'm telling you that's how it happened. I swear on St, Peter." a drunk man said to La and she laughed.

"So that's what you saw huh?" I still don't believe you." she teased and man huffed at her then smiled.

"You aint that easy to impress are you darlin? The man asked and Daemon rolled his eyes at the guys pursuit of La. But La just laughed again.

"I've seen to much in life to be so easily impressed." she was on her third glass of wine by then and yet she wasn't drunk or tipsy. Then man leaned closer to her, closing the distance between them.

"In that case, how about…" Just as the man started talking a blue specter appeared to the left of La.

"Huh?" she asked herself, completely tuning the man out. _Mathieu_. She thought and quickly jumped up.

"I have to go, leave it on my tab Daemon." she yelled pushing through the crowd of people to outside.

"What is it Mathieu?" she asked aloud as she tried forcing herself through the streets. The wind was starting to pick up again and worked against La as she ran down the block. She reached her hand up to her neck feeling around for something but only finding her bare neck.

"Damnit I left my cross." she screamed and pushed past a small group of guys. In her rush, she'd forgotten her coat. Still she ran on until she reached the apartment buildings. La burst through the doors, heaving and cold. The night desk manager barely had time to say hello before she raced to the elevator.

"Come on, come on." she said and pressed the up bottom repeatedly. _I know I've passed wood somewhere. Why hasn't he sent me another specter? _She looked over to the night manager's desks, waiting for Mathieu's specter to appearing. Nothing came.

"Damn!" she yelled and punched the elevator door.

"Hold on a minute." the desk manager said but La was already making her way to the stairs. Her brown hair flew by in a blur as she climbed the nine flights to the top floor. Once there she went to the far end of the hallway here she and Mathieu's flats were. The door was open. The first thing she noticed as the bed sheets on the floor. As she walked in more, there were broken things everywhere

"Mat?" she asked and walked around the tiny apartment. "Mat? Mathieu? Mat!" she yelled still breathless from the stairs. La started moving things around the room searching for anything that could give her clues to what happened. When she found none, the thought of Mathieu being taken or killed sunk in. she fell to the floor. She reached up to her neck again, knowing the void of the cross necklace.

"I'm so sorry Mat. I forgot my chain." she whispered to the wooden floor.


	2. From Paris: Amsterdam

9 months later; Amsterdam, Holland:

The first rain of the season started that day. Hei walked passed the old stone building, into a makeshift restaurant to escape the down pour. He sat in the far back corner of the Dutch eatery where the window was opened. A young blond waitress came over to him and smiled.

"Hello, I'm Alexandra and I'll be your waitress. Can I get you some coffee to start with?" she was quite young, maybe 16 or 17 years old. Her hair was pulled to the side in a messy bun and she wore braces. Hei smiled politely and agreed to the coffee. The young woman wrote this down on her notepad then bounced her way to the back. He watched her go for a moment but turned his attention outside. Rain rolled down the window pane and blurred the people and buildings on the opposite side. Thunder roared outside and lightening flashed not far from the restaurant.

"That happens a lot her." the waitress said and Hei turned to acknowledge her.

"Oh really? It rains here often? I didn't know that?" he grabbed the coffee she placed on the table, with both hands.

"Yeah, people don't think that when they visit though. Usually people come for other things." she winked at him and gave a shy smile. Hei laughed a little, glanced out the window and then back to her.

"Well I'm just here to visit an old friend of mine that's all." he added and smiled back at her.

"If you say so. Do you know what you want to order?"

"No, I'm still looking thank you." the girl nodded and walked back to the back. Just as she was leaving, Hei's cell phone rung.

"Did you make it to the destination?" a man said on the other end just as Hei put the phone to his ear.

"I'm across the street from the building." he responded in a low monotone voice.

"Whatever you do, don't harm the doll. Kill the girl if you need. Don't underestimate her." with that said the man hung up. Hei sipped his coffee, looking out of the window at the building next door as the rain started to let up. A dog walked by, stopping by the window. Hei looked at him, when the dog nodded he stood.

"Oh, no food?" the waitress asked as Hei walked to the door.

"No I came to get out of the rain but thank you for the coffee. My money is on the table, keep the change for a tip." Hei smiled

"But the rains going to start again…." the woman started but Hei was already out of the door.

"About time you came out." Mao said, walking to Hei's side.

"You're going through the food chain Mao. First a cat, then a squirrel now you're a dog."

"Ha ha, you're very funny Hei. But here dogs are almost the only animals I've seen."

"Did you see them? The girl and the doll?" Hei asked as they walked around to the front of the building.

"Yeah. They left out of the apartments just as the rain stopped going east.""I see." Hei looked up at the build. It was an old red brick apartment building with fogged windows and the stitch of dog urine.

"Do you think it's true? That that girl stole this doll from the CIA?" Mao asked.

"I don't know," Hei answered, "If she did, the best thing to do is figure out why. C'mon lets catch up to the before they get to far away." the two walked along the narrow sidewalk. People take second glances at Hei who stands out among the blond hair, green-eyed Dutch people. Ignoring the glances, they walk on until Mao spotted the coat the woman was wearing.

"You sure that's her?" Hei asked and Mao nodded. They followed close behind the woman who was wearing a red jacket. Along side her was a taller, much larger man who was wearing a long black coat and holding an umbrella which both of the were walking under. Hei watched them closely but keeping his distance. The woman looked rather small, especially compared to the man. Her arm was looped into the doll's as the walked, like lovers.

"When are we going to stop them?" Mao asked but Hei didn't answer. He was watching intently at their every movement. Just then, the doll turned his head half way, looking in no particular direction but Hei knew that he knew someone was following them. No few seconds later, they turned down an open street towards a park. Hei hesitated, slipping into the alley just before than one to put on his mask then he ran into the direction they went. Once he turned the corner, he followed the sound of the woman's shoes. She was running through the park. Hei quickly pulled out his cord with the dagger attached to it and throw it in the direction of the girl. She turned he head, and Hei caught a glimpse of her honey brown eyes just as the dagger passed centimeters from her face and sticking into a tree. He ran up to the tree, retrieving his dagger following the woman again. When he couldn't find her he paused, looking at his surroundings.

"Hei!" Mao yelled and Hei ran towards his voice.

"Mathieu ran!" the woman yelled from behind a bush. She jumped out just as Hei turned and threw the dagger into her left arm. She yelled and Mathieu paused in his running away. Hei let loose a bolt of electricity just as the woman's eyes turned red.

"What the?" he questioned as he noticed the woman never got shocked. His legs, began to feel weak and loose. Against his own will, he began to bend and he fell to his knees, releasing the cord. La reached for the dagger, pulling it from her arm and walked up to Hei.

"Who are you? Who sent you after me?" La asked standing over him with the dagger.

"How did you stop my attack?" Hei asked. He felt something like pressure, forcing him to almost bow in front of the woman.

"I'm asking the question here. Did the CIA send you 'Hei'? No, you don't sound American. Take of your mask." She, still holding the dagger above him. Reluctantly, he's hands started to make their way to his face.

"How, how are you doing this?" Hei asked as his hand grabbed the corners of his mask. The rain had started up again was beating against his back.

"Hei!" Mao yelled jumping from the bushes, on top of La. He pushed her to the wet ground and they rolled. Mao tried to bite her but La grabbed him by the ears and looked him in the eyes. Mao, feeling the sudden pressure just as Hei did, rolled off of her against his will. La, panting, was about to stand when Hei grabbed hold to her arm and sent a shock from him to her. She screamed as some of the electricity coursed through her. However, in the same second, she sent it right back electrocuting Hei as well. He jumped back, feeling his own attack on him. La, pushed herself up until she was standing. She hobbled over to where Mathieu was supposed to be hiding.

"Mathieu where are you?" she asked, looking through the shrubs.

"Right here La. Behind you." he said just as Hei grabbed her by the neck, pulling her away from him.

"Release me!' she gagged, prying at Hei's arm. Hei's arms once again went limp and he staggered backwards causing La to fall to the ground. Mathieu came running from the bushes to La's side.

"I'm ok Mat." she answered the unasked question. Through the sound of thunder a helicopter was heard. Everyone looked up as they were surrounded by planes and men parachuting.

"Go Mat go!" La yelled scrabbling to her feet. Hei' reached out and grabbed her ankle determined not the let her go. Hundreds of men landed to ground surrounding Mathieu.

"No, stop it!" La yelled, her eyes turned red again and Hei, released her again against his will. "Move all of you! Mathieu! Mathieu!" she yelled running through as some of the crowd parted and fell to the ground. Laying just as Hei was but there were too many. Determined, La fought through the crowd of military men screaming for Mathieu.

Hei, slowly began to regain control over his own body as he watch La attempt to push through. But the men where too much. Two or three of the grabbed her arms and threw her to the ground.

"BK201, you've done well." A man said and Hei turned around. The man was dressed in an all black suit, his wearing dark tinted glasses despite the rain.

"You followed me." Hei said to him. The man smiled and nodded.

"This doll was our main priority and you've succeeded in bring him to us. But, from the looks of it, you didn't heed my warning of La. She is quiet the dangerous one." the man said and nodded in La directions. When Hei looked over there were about 10 men restraining her. Hei looked to where Mathieu and the army of men had been just as they began going back up in the air. He turned back to the man who was also hanging from a latter going back in the arm.

"Thank you for your assistance BK201, greatly appreciated." the man yelled down before disappearing out of sight. Once the park was clear, it was just Hei, La and Mao left. Hei walked over to her. La, laying as she was curled up on the wet ground with her music in her ears, rolled her eyes up to look at him.

'Damn you," she whispered, unable to move because she was so weak. Hei, knelt down just as the woman closed her eyes. Mao, dragged himself over to then looking from La to Hei then back to La.

"Is she dead?" he asked.

"No," Hei responded "It's her payment." With her laying there, Hei was able to get a good look at her face. She was young, not that young but younger than him. Her brown hair was sticking to her wet forehead and her pink lips were slightly parted.

"Is it just me or are you having some doubts about this situation too?" Mao asked. Hei nodded, scooping La up in his arms, the rain relentless pouring down on them.


	3. From Paris: Amsterdam Part 2

Amsterdam Part 2:

La stirred at the sounds surrounding her. _What's going on? _She thought, eyes still closed. Slowly, gradually she moved her hand, feeling a wool sheet brush up against the backside of her arm. _I'm in a bed. Who's bed? _La paused, not wanting to move any more than she thought was necessary. The noise that woke her was thunder; it was still raining outside. She tried to listen for voices but no one was there. She peeked open the eye that was resting on the pillow. It was dark wherever she was the only thing illuminating the room was the faint light from outside. In the shadows, she could make out a chair and possibly a desk. Her eye danced around, trying to give some indication to her location. Once she saw no one else was in the room, she jumped up throwing the blanket to the ground. She wasn't wearing her red coat anymore and her shoes were off.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud, walking to the window. Brief flashes of what happened danced in her mind. La grabbed the window as snapshots of Mathieu being snatched away from her again appeared before her. She grabbed the cross necklace around her neck and turned towards the door. Someone was walking towards her.

La walked to the darkest corner of the room, close to the chair. The door cracked open first. La pressed her body against the wall, she couldn't see who it was. The person opened the door more, turned on the light and full entered. La blindly ran towards Hei, taking hold of his arm and pushing him back towards the door. Hei, reacting quickly from the surprise attack, grabbed her arm, forced it behind her back and pushed her to the ground.

"Get off of me you bastard!" she yelled and kicked her legs widely. Her body lit up with synchrotron radiation and Hei jumped back.

" You don't have to use your ability. I'm not going to fight you." Hei said and held out his hand to help her up. La turned to him, looking over his face. _The man with the mask… _she thought and hit his hand away. She scrabbled to her feet and faced him.

"Where did you take Mathieu?" she narrowed her eyes at him but Hei kept a placid look.

"I don't know where that doll is,"

"Liar! You tried to take him from me twice. I swear to God Almighty if you don't tell me I will kill you."

"The CIA has Mathieu not me. I don't work for them and I don't know where they took him too."

"You don't? Then you're one hell of an actor because it looks as if you do!" The familiar crimson glow over took La's once brown eyes but Hei quickly clipped her to avoid the attack. He tried to electrocute her but once again, it stopped short of her.

"Hey gu-" Mao said but paused when he saw Hei towering of La.

"Haven't you learned that trick won't work on me," La said with a laugh, "My contract allows me to manipulate electric transmitters. So that little stunt of conducting electricity is useless." La crawled from under Hei and reached for her jacket and shoes.

"So you can control brain neurons which cause you to control a person's movements." Mao committed as La began dressing. She looked at Mao then to Hei.

"Exactly dog, maybe you can answer me this: why were you after Mat?"

"Why is the CIA after your doll?" Hei countered and La narrowed her eyes at him.

"Keep pushing your luck, I'm not as fragile and weak as I seem. I'm the one asking the questions here not you."

"We were informed by the CIA that you stole the doll." Mao answered.

"Stole? He was mine to begin with! And you believed them?" La questioned.

"We're contractors," Hei started "We did the rational and most beneficial thing for us." La grunted and folded her arms.

"Contractors can think for themselves, they have brains. We don't always do what's rational…" her already soft voice trailed off towards the end and she looked down.

"What use could Mathieu be to the CIA? There has to be something you're not telling me." Hei said and La looked at him.

"If I knew I wouldn't tell you. You gave him away. How do I know this isn't apart of the CIA's plan. If you don't know where I can find him then I don't need you." La began walking towards the door but Hei grabbed her arm. She looked down at his hand then at him. They stared each other door, neither willing to relent.

"Let her go, Hei." Mao finally interjected. La jerked away and walked out of the door. Hei watched as she out into the dark rain.

"What do you think?" Mao asked, walking over to the bed.

"About what? It's her doll obviously." Hei replied and took a seat in the chair by the window. He looked out of it just as La's silhouette walked by. He watched her, wondering where she could be going.

"Why the CIA wants it so bad. I mean, it's not like he's special, not like-" he paused, knowing the sensitivity of the subject. Mao sighed and curled up on the bed. "It's just an interesting thought is all."

In haste, La ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Blurred by the rain that soaked her vision, she weaved through racks of bikes and pedestrians until she reached the old apartment building. La bent over, taking in sharp breaths with water beating her back. Brown locks stuck to her face and some hung free, she clasped her knees. The ground beneath her was starting to turn into a stream and she could see her dark reflection staring back her. She looked wild; eyes wide open, mouth gaped and her hair in disarray.

"Damn it all." she whispered and straightened up. She pushed open the old iron door that lead to the even more ancient staircase. Which each floor she climbed it seemed the walls became even more deteriorated and rotten. Once inside her own apartment, she dropped her coat to the floor and stepped out of her shoes. The wooden floors cricked despite her lightweight. A signal red light flashed from her answering machine but the rest of the place was barely lit. La walked to the phone and pressed play while removing her soaked top.

"You have seven new messages," the machine started and La walked into the kitchen towards the tiny refrigerator, "First message:_ I don't know what the fuck is going on but we're on way to Amsterdam right now_. End of first message," La's ears perked up as she dug through the half-empty fridge.

"Second message: _Why aren't you answering La? Did something happen? Shit, this must be bad. I'm calling Dominic. Call me as soon as you get this message; it's Jean_." La walked to the machine and pressed the delete button.

"Messages deleted, you have no more messages." She stood over the answering machine.

"What to do La, what to do? Think woman think!" she said to herself. Dragging her teeth cross her bottom lip, she picked up the phone but quickly put it down. A breeze from a crack in the floor caused her to shiver and she wrapped her arms over her chest.

"You're a contractor, so do the rational thing…," she told herself, recalling Hei's words. She picked up the phone and called Jean. It rung once, twice, three times before he picked up.

"La, where the hell have you been? We've been calling all day?" Jean blared and La had to move the phone away from her ear to avoid damaging her eardrum.

"Listen to me carefully Jean. The CIA has Mathieu and-"

"They have him? How?" Jean cut her off.

"I said listen carefully. Are you still on your way here?" Jena sighed but answered nonetheless.

"Yeah, just me and Dominic. La tell-"

"I want you to meet me at a café called Café Kobalt, by the train station. Be there at 10 a.m. I'll explain everything when I see you." with that, she hung up the phone.

***********************************************************************************************************

The sun peeked through the half cracked shutters in La's room but it didn't wake her. Her eyes had long since been glued to the withered ceiling of her bedroom.

"No sleep at all." she stretched both arms up and sat straight. Her clock read 8:41. Swinging her legs across the edge of the bed, La walked to her chifforobe. She grabbed a pair of jeans and slipped into them, as well as a long sleeved white shirt with black rain boots. Turning on the light in the bathroom, she refreshed herself and put her hair into a messy ponytail.

"Breakfast." she said and opened the refrigerator, not that the contents had changed since last night. She signed, realizing this to be true, she grabbed her things and opened the door.

The streets of Amsterdam where crowded, which isn't surprising considering the sunshine. The rain from last night flooded most neighbors and almost all of the café's were closed. La blended with the crowd of natives, walking along the boulevard past bike stands and old ruins. Conscious of every person that passed by, La surveyed the area. Surely if the CIA was after Mat, they would come after her soon. No one could be trusted, no one was a friend. She turned a corner, walking by a local college. The late students were all running towards the building, one nearly ran into her.

"Sorry Miss." the boy said and carried on.

"It's alright." La said with a smile and watched him run up the cement steps. She continued on, the train station wasn't but a few blocks from where her apartment was. She turned another corner until she was in the tourist friendly area. Café Kobalt set tucked behind a small shop adjacent from the metro. La picked the table outside in the middle of the café. She looked at her watch, it read 9:35. With time to kill, she picked up the one page menu. Flipping it from one side to the other, she didn't find anything particularly appeasing. Sighing, she sat the menu down and slumped in her chair just as her server came over.

"Long morning?" the woman joke and pulled a pen and pad from her napkin.

"Actually, it was more of a long night but thanks for the concern. I'll just get some water for now." La responded and sat straight.

"How bout some coffee, it'll be on me, k." the server insisted and La nodded in compliance. Satisfied, the woman walked to the table behind her to take the next order. La scratched the side of her head, unsure of what exactly to do. This situation-losing Mat twice-was new to her. Moreover, even more foreign was her reaction to whole thing. Never had she been at a lost for solutions or answers. Americans never hid there constant thirst for power but what that had to do with her was beyond La's comprehension. There was no 'rational' reason she could come up with.

"Rational." La laughed to herself. Despite her best efforts, it was her nature to think in such a way, to be rational. Nevertheless, humans didn't always base their decisions from such avenues and it was this notion that had La utterly confused.

"Here you go." the waitress placed the white bowl like mug of coffee in front of La along with a tall glass of water. "You want to order some food too?"

"I'm waiting for someone actually. I'll order when they come if that's ok." La forced a smile and the woman welcomed it and returned a warm smile.

"Take you time." she replied and went her way. La leaned over and inhaled her coffee. The buttery, nutty smell of freshly grind coffee beans awakened her senses and she inhaled it again. The aroma itself made her feel better, and the taste she knew would only magnify the feeling. With both hands, she held the oversized cup to her lips, blowing to cool it down before take a small sip. It burned her top lip but not enough to cause her any real harm. She took another sip and closed her eyes to the warming sensation now spreading through her body. It was perfect moment up until the chair across from her dragged along the ground making space for the person who moved it to sit. Slowly, La opened her eyes, the mug still to her face. There sat Jean, a stocky short man with little to no hair on his shaved head. His expression was rigid and emotionless, he starred at the young woman across from him.

"You shouldn't be so careless, anyone can just walk up to you with your eyes closed like that." he spat out and sat his cell phone on the table. La sat her cup down and licked her top lip, missing the steamy warmth already.

"Don't be so uptight, it makes you look a bit constipated." La retorted and Jean huffed and her comment.

"Now is hardly the time for your jokes La. Thanks to your carelessness the Americans have Mathieu again." La flinched, the impact of his words made the coffee in her stomach go sour. Jean began pressing buttons on his phone and La sat quietly staring into at the condensation dripping from her untouched water.

"Who are you calling?" she finally asked.

"Dominic, who else?" jean retorted.

"It wasn't all my fault you know, there was this contractor…" La started but trailed off.

"Contractor? You couldn't handle one measly contractor. You asked us to send you here. You said this was the best place for Mathieu to stay low and now you're blaming his abduction on a Dutch contractor?" Jean sat back in his chair, eyeing La with obvious distaste.

"He wasn't Dutch, some kind of Asian. At any rate Jean, I wasn't blaming him I was just saying."

"Save your excuses for when Dominic answers." Jean placed the phone back on the table. The vibrating tone from the phone was the only thing between the two as they waited for Dominic to answer.

"Jean, I presume La is with you." was the first thing Dominic said when he picked up.

"Yeah she's here." Jean glared at her then looked at the phone. La glared back, equally annoyed with Jean's presence as he was with hers.

"La, care to explain?" Dominic said and La leaned over to the phone.

"Somehow, the CIA found our hiding place," La started glancing at Jean the back to phone, "However, I do have a starting point as to how to find him."

"Like what?" Jean blurted out.

"The contractor. The CIA sent an Asian contractor to attack me and Mat. But the contractor didn't kill me which I odd to say the least. I don't think his loyalties are with the Americans."

"And what makes you so sure that they trusted this foreign man with any valuable information?" Dominic questioned. La paused, musing over the events of last night. Truth is, there was no indication that he knew anything except aiding in Mat's capture. Still, he had to know something if he agreed to the job.

"He's the only lead we have right now. It's worth a try." La finally said and Jean grunted.

"This is stupid. We can't trust your estimated guess no more than we can trust you to watch one doll." Jean said.

"And I suppose you have a better plan?" La spat out.

"Getting rid of the useless factors for a start." Jean said. La jumped up, eyes red. Jean also stood but he was too slow for La's mental assault. Jean grabbed the fork from the table, placing his other hand flat.

"Get the fuck out of my head!" Jean sneered but La wouldn't let go of his mind. He raised his hand over the hand that was placed flat. Jean's facial expression was his only protest against what La was making him do.

"Still a useless factor am I?" she said with a smile.

"La! Jean! Stop this at once." Dominic yelled from the other end of the phone. La complied but grabbed her things in the process.

"I'm going after that contractor. He's the only leads we have right now. You can find your own way. I'll be in touch." with that, she shoved her headphones in her ears, drowning out any protest from Jean, Dominic or anyone else


	4. From Paris: North Sea

Mao sat watching as Hei mercilessly scoffed down the grilled fish on the platter before him. The food didn't stand a chance as the human black hole dug into the bowl of boiled mixed vegetables. Where he put all of his food, was and still is a mystery within itself. Mao blend down, slowly eating his own lunch that the waiter so kindly provided. Apparently, dogs get as much attention as humans do. He licked at the broiled meat; it was tasty whatever it was. He looked back to his partner, who had moved on to the starches in his entrée.

They had been wondering around Amsterdam for some days now, mainly trying to find the girl. Hei had a hunch as to why the Americans were after the doll but he wouldn't know for sure until they met up with her again. Of course, getting her to trust him was going to be another matter.

Hei drunk his water, in attempt to wash down his food. Being Chinese amongst blond hair and green eyes already caught people's attention, but to also eat enough food for almost ten people drew more stares. Some people stopped and watched, others whispered to each other, all of this he simply ignored.

"Mao," Hei called once he was done "Are you ready?"

"Just because you eat your food in two bites doesn't mean the rest of us do. I like to take my time, enjoy the flavor." Mao joked and began chewing on his meat again. Hei looked out into the distance. Outdoor restaurants were a famous thing in these parts of Europe and Hei had grown quite fond of the scenery while eating. Amsterdam was a piece of frozen history, not much has changed from the time it was founded and the contractor appreciated the timelessness. Even the people seemed to be frozen in a chivalrous era, where kindness prevailed. Despite the stares, he really was treated decently. Hei rested his head on ball of his hand and closed his eyes. _I'm so full. _He thought to himself.

"Crowds of people just flock to you I guess." A familiar voice said and Hei opened his eyes. If his luck were any better, he'd find the doll tomorrow. Before him was the girl he'd been searching for the past several days. She didn't look at all pleased to seem him, as she was frowning and staring at the mountain of plates and bowls on his table. He couldn't see her eyes because she wore black sunglasses. However, her hair was pulled back which actually made her look her age versus when he first met her.

"How'd you find me?" he asked and sat up. La took it upon herself to sit down. She looked down at Mao who was still eating. The dog didn't seem to pay her any mind although La knew better than to believe that was true. She turned back at Hei whose full attention was on her. Those dark blue eyes sent and uncomfortable feeling down her spine. She shifted in her chair, unwilling to look bothered.

"A hunch. I followed the fan club of girls going on about a foreign man with a bottomless stomach and volia." she joked, spreading her arms as if displaying something.

"Why look for me? Thought I'd be the last person you'd want to communicate with."

"On the contrary," La flagged down the waiter, "At the moment, you are the closes informant I have." the waiter came running. Eyes wide at the amount of food that been consumed. La smiled at him and lifted her sunglasses.

"May I have some water please?" she asked. The waiter nodded and turned to Hei.

"And you, sir?" he asked with a smile. Hei returned the smile and in a tone much more gentle than he was speaking earlier, he declined the request.

"No, I'm actually really full." , La was set back to say the least at his sudden shift in tone and demeanor, from distant and indifferent to shy and gentle. _Who is this person really? _She asked herself. Of course, she wasn't the only contractor in the world who'd learned how to blend in but for _him_ it seemed an effortless venture.

"I'll just get some of these plates out of your way." the waiter said. The two sat silent as the man did his job. Both of them keeping up appearances. Once the man was done, Hei's smile left as soon as it came.

"If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't believe you were a contractor." La said finally. A gentle breeze blew between them the two contractors. The sun was high in the sky as the afternoon was approaching.

"We learn to adapt to situations just like you," Mao interjected, "Blending is apart of our job."

"So I see. In that case, Hei I need you to tell me everything you know about the Americans. If it's true that you don't actually work for them than you wouldn't mind sharing with me." La smiled a mischievously and folded her arms on the table.

"I told you I didn't know. Besides, the CIA doesn't have a reason to trust me with information like that." Hei replied.

"And why is that?"

"Hei and the CIA or any major government agency isn't exactly on good terms." Mao interjected again and walked over to La, sitting near her feet.

"I don't get it. What do you mean?" La looked down at the dog that rested his head on her lap, shielding himself from the Dutch heat.

"They don't trust me anymore than you do. They all want me dead." Hei said and drunk from his practically empty glass of water. La, sat staring at him, musing over the present information.

"Why hire someone they don't trust…" she thought aloud. "And for a doll no less?"

"Because, Hei's the best at what he does. They don't call him the Black Reaper for nothing you know." at that La giggled, looking from Hei to Mao.

"Black Reaper? Doesn't seem to me that you've lived up to your name. I'm sure the CIA wanted you to get rid of me. Yet, here I Am." she joked and looked to Hei.

"You're not exactly easy to kill." Hei said plainly.

"So it seems. Does that mean you'll assist me 'reaper'?"

"No." Hei said and stood to his feet. La jumped up, causing Mao's head to suddenly fall from her lap. The rate at which she stood made the table shake.

"No? What do you mean 'no'?" she questioned. The couple next to them looked over at the scene but quickly turned away.

"He's just a doll La. You shouldn't waste time going up against the CIA for a doll. Come on Mao." Hei proceeded to walk away but La grabbed his arm, forcing him to face her.

"I'll only make you come with me if you refuse to willingly." she threatened. Hei stared blankly at her. He really did not intend to help her. If anything, he wanted to get the doll as far away from her as possible. Nevertheless, looking at La's eyes, the determined fire burning within them, staring him down. If he were anyone else, he'd probably give in.

"How far do you thinking forcing me will get you?" If anything, she was stubborn when she wanted to be. He had figured out that much.

"Far enough." she retorted.

"You can't make me talk, your ability doesn't extend that far."

"Doesn't matter."

"Let go of my arm." Hei said plainly. La walked closer to him, closing the distance between him. She took his arm in both of her hands and smiled. From a distance, it appeared to be a loving gesture, but her eyes told a different story. The waiter walked up just as La was about to speak.

"Your water…" He started but soon released the 'couple' was about to go.

"It's ok, we were just leaving weren't we Hei?" La turned back to him, gripping his arm tighter in the process.

"A specter!" Mao cried as he noticed the bluish white light surrounded the once wooden cross, appearing to hover over it. Dumbfounded by Mao's sudden outburst, the waiter looked from Mao to La and Hei. For a dog to speak was one thing but to speak of a 'specter' that he couldn't see left the waiter speechless.

"Mat" La whispered and released Hei's arm immediately. With no hesitation, she being running down the street, towards the direction Mathieu was calling.

"La, wait!" Mao yelled out and started chasing after. Reluctantly, Hei followed the young woman, who was making figure eights in and out of crowds of people.

"Mat, I'm coming just keep directing me." La said, holding the cross in her palm. Everything was drowned out by the howling of the wind in her ears as she sped through crowds. There was nothing else important; nothing else mattered at this point. Mat was calling and that's where she needed to go. Her sunglasses were blown from her head as she fought against the wind. Pushing people out of the way, her legs picked up pace as a sudden urgency overwhelmed her. What was this feeling? The drive that made her legs feel weightless and made everything else nonexistent except for Mat? She rounded a corner where specters appeared on wooden carts. Whatever the feeling was, La was willing to let it work on her behave.

"La!" she heard her name and turned briefly to see Hei following close behind. Mao had fallen back, panting but still trying to keep up.

"Shit!" she yelled and ran faster, pushing pass the itching throb now forming in her thighs. She couldn't stop now, not even if she wanted too. It was as if someone was using her own power against her, making her legs go on their own. She turned again down and alleyway and she could see in front of her water. More specters lit the way as she and Hei raced down the narrow pathway.

"La stop." Hei yelled again but she ignored it all, coming into the clearing. It was a dock, and the smell of rotten fish and sea water was the first thing that struck her nose. She paused shortly, the throbbing becoming more apparent.

"Where now? Where do I go?" La looked behind her, seeing that Hei was also coming out of the alley; she ran right towards a crew of fishermen.

"Hey you can't be here!" one of the men yelled but that didn't stop the girl. She ran pass the crew, towards the loading docks.

"Miss stop! It's to dangerous to run through here!" Another man yelled but La ran right thought him, pushing him out of the way, on the slipper path.

"You stop too sir." the same said as Hei came flying by. La looked behind her, Hei hadn't missed a beat and he wasn't letting her out of his sights. She grabbed her necklace, hoping Mat would send another specter. In front of her two small boats that didn't look like it belonged was loading. Surrounding the boat was several men, all dressed in black suits. La looked at her cross again just as Mat sent her another specter. She smiled knowing she was going in the right direction. She picked up speed just as Hei grabbed her arm. The forced at which he jerked her back, conflicted with the rate she was going, La lost her footing on the ground and fell backwards.

"What are you doing let go of me!" she yelled and hurried to her feet. Hei pulled her back to him, trying to restrain her arms. La fought back, swinging in every direction trying to get free. If not for the fishermen around, they would have been seen. La swung, hitting Hei in face. He stumbled back, regaining his footing he grabbed her arm, twisting it around. La winched and the pressure forming in her already sensitive shoulder. Hei pushed her forward, trying to make her fall to the ground.

"I said let me go!" Her eyes lit red and forced Hei to his knees. She ran behind a beam, in the direction of the boats, watching as the last of the men were hanging around the dock.

"I'm coming Mat I promise." La said to her cross necklace. She surveyed the area. The only way directly on to the ship was to walk down the runway where the men were all gathered. It would be impossible for her to get through and not been seen. She could of course use her abilities but there was a limit. She could only control a few people at one time and there were too many men there for her to manipulate. Instead, she ran backwards towards the direction she came from. Passing where her and Hei had just fought, she noticed he wasn't there anymore. Shrugging, she carried on to the following runway. Looking around first to make sure she was clear, she sat down and slid into the water. She swam under the docks, dodging the support beams. The steady current threatened to push her further out but she fought against it, grabbing a beam every time she felt she was at risk of being seen.

La swam until she reached the tail end of the last ship. She looked above her, through the cracks in the wooden platform to find the men. Squint-eyes, she tried to see through the tiny opening.

"Where are they?" she questioned. She let go of the beam just as a large gust of wind pulled at her. La hit her back against the beam, as the motor of the second boat started. She fought against the water, swimming towards the front of the boat. Water blurred her vision as the suction from the motor displaced it. A whirlpool formed around the tail end of the boat and La was trying not to be caught in the middle of it.

"My, my music," she said between breathes and spitting water from her mouth "I didn't listen to my music…" she kept swimming, pushing against the thrashing waters.

"I have too…my music…" Drawing on every muscle in her body, willing it to get her to the side of the boat. A sharp, splintering pain shoot up her back, a pitching tightness in the arm Hei twisted nearly caused her to stop pushing. Her legs were on the verge of giving out. La cried out, forcing strength to come to her from anywhere. Her arms went rigid, her breaths became sharp and quick as the water forced its way down her throat. She reached out, trying to grab anything to keep her afloat; to keep her from losing him again. Her fingers caught hold to the steel bars on the side of the ship. La pulled herself up, her legs dragging behind her. The boat was now floating in the middle of the canal that would soon drain into the North Sea. With the last ounce of her strength, La pulled herself up, wrapping her legs around the steal pole. She hung there for a second, trying to catch her breath but her heart was racing too last.

"I need to hear my music," she whispered to herself. La climbed up the side of the boat, and rolled over the rail, nearing falling onto the first floor. Her aching muscles washed over her all at once and the unsteady rhythm of her heartbeat made her nauseas. She crawled, as her vision became hazy and everything started blending. With one hand and her legs, she dragged herself along the wooden floor, the other frantically searching her pockets for her mp3 player.

"Where…" her voice was hoarse and rough, the muscles in her arms started shaking, unable to pull her any further. She bent over, hurling up seawater. La turned, leaning against the wall. In front of her, the ancient buildings of Holland lazily passed her by in a fog. Footsteps where approaching but she didn't move, she couldn't move anymore. At one last attempt to save her life, she looked in her pockets for her music. Never had she gone without her remuneration, it felt as if her very life was sucked from her.

The footsteps were closer now, nearly around the corner. La chuckled to herself, knowing that this would be her end. To die while on the brink of saving Mat, what else could she do but laugh. She closed her eyes, titling her head back on the wall behind her. It gave way, causing her to fall backwards. She would have hit the floor if not for a hand wrapped over her mouth and an arm pulling her into the tiny closet.

"Who…who?" she stammered out, trying uselessly to get out of his grip.

"Shut up." Hei said and shoved her headphones into her ears, turning it up as loud as it could go. Hei held her close, trying to support her weak frame in his arms. His feet were propped up against the door, preventing anyone from entering. La sat still listening to the solace sound of the gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt's gentle melody: _Ou Es Tu, Mon Amour._


	5. From Paris: Berlin

Berlin, Germany:

In the dead of night, the two cargo boats lazily drifted along the river banks of the North Sea. Floating by with aid from the steady currents of the Atlantic; the boats sailed in a northeastern direction. Hazily lights from the low lit lanterns on the boats cast golden shadows on the freewheeling waters. Temperature was on a steady decrees La and Hei sat enclosed, cramped to say the less in the small utility closet. For some hours they had been in there, unaware of the location they were going. A draft from the water passed under the crack in the door and La shivered. She was still drying from her earlier experience. She curled herself up in the farthest corner, if it could be described that way, of the closet, pressing herself against a shelf that held cleaning supplies. La rubbed her hands together than pressed them between her thighs for warmth.

"Here." Hei said and handed her his green jacket. La looked at it, tempted by the cozy warmth it would give her. Surely, it was better than breathing into her hands. Gratefully La took it and mumbled a quick 'thank you'. Hei's body heat was still present inside the jacket and it made her shiver with warmth. She glanced at the contractor across from her, wondering if he noticed her little gesture. He was posted against the wall, eyes fixed on the wall in front of him. One hand was holding a small device inside his ear and the other tucked inside his pants pocket. La leaned her head against the a shelf of cleaning supplies.

"Mao, have you found where we're going yet?" Hei said and La looked up for a second, also waiting an answer. She couldn't hear what Mao was saying but she imagined that he had transferred his body to some kind of bird and was surveying the area.

"So what does that mean?" Hei asked again. La only half listened, her hand unconsciously fingering the cross around her neck. When she realized it, she moved her hand quickly and looked back to Hei. He wasn't watching her still. She pulled the ends of the jacket sleeves over and hands and folded her arms. They were going to be there for a while. From what Mao had told them earlier, there was a man every 30 minutes that walked around the boat. La closed her eyes. Truly, what else could she do in that present situation? The subtle rocks from the waves made her tired and there was no real benefit in fighting sleep.

"Mao said that we're not that far from the Germany coastline and the ship seems to be making a steady curve in that direction." La heard him say but Hei's voice seemed distanced and foggy. She nodded more out of habit that understanding. She heard movement, probably Hei sitting down, then the distinct sound of hunger pains. Her eyes fluttered at the noise but never opened as she drifted to sleep.

_They say that contractors don't dream when they sleep. What do they do then? We think. We rationalize things even more in our minds while we sleep. But I…I long to have a dream. So vivid and colorful they seem. I've never had a dream. I don't know what one would be like. I wonder, what would my dreams be like? Would I dream of an animal like I hear some many people dreaming of? A snake, a dog perhaps? Or would I dream of more girly things like rainbows? The deepest parts of our subconscious, that's what I was told dreams are. I wish I truly knew…_

La jumped up to a sudden shake of the boat. Her heart was racing and she wasn't sure why, she grabbed her cross and squeezed her fingers around it. She walked to the door and cracked it open.

"What are you doing?" Hei asked and staggered to his feet.

"We docked." was all La said before fully opening the door and walking out on the upper floor leaning against the rails. Reluctantly, Hei followed behind her. The sun cast a fiery red shadow down on the close quarter red and white brink buildings. All of the buildings were laced with green vines that curled and bent around the base of structure. It was reminiscent of any other European city yet, the uniqueness of Berlin shone through with the black red and yellow flag blowing in the wind. Even the roofs of the buildings seemed particular angled and more gothic than other European cities. Tall gothic steeples crowned buildings for miles around. They hadn't docked in a fishing port this time, instead it was a ship docking area for normal sailing and such. More casual boats were harnessed around them and from their vantage point, they could see the last of the men unloading the first ship.

"Where do you think they're keeping him?" Hei asked as he watched the men load in several white vans.

"Are you suddenly interested in helping me?" La in turn asked. Hei looked down at the girl who was still looking at the men. He looked back at them and thought for a moment before answering.

"My interests are irrelevant to you." Hei finally responded and moved away from her. La turned to him fully.

"Your interest will dictate my next move. So are you in or not?" she said plainly. They stared each other for a moment, a gesture that they found to be a common thing between them. La smirked and Hei blinked, not sure what to make of it. La, looked once more towards the men, as the first of them from the ship they were on started to unload. She walked to the rail, leaned just a little then jumped over.

"La!" she heard Hei call but she had already landed gracefully on the ground, eyes lit red. Her first thought was to run towards them but she quickly changed her mind. Instead, she walked slowly looking for her first target. One man, tall and slender, from behind he looked quite young, he turned catching La's eye.

He-" he was about to say but his hand fasted itself to his mouth. The man started walking towards the dock, until he got to the edge. La smirked again, and forced the man to look her way. He was trying to scream but his hand prevented him from saying anything.

"What are you doing Mason?" one of men next to him said just as Mason jumped off the deck into the water.

"Mason!" all of the yelled and ran towards the downing man. La just keep walking, getting closer and closer to them and ultimately the van. Once she felt Mason's life slip away, she let him go and locked on to another man. This one, equally tall and slender as Mason, grabbed the man's neck next to him and started choking him. All of them now, try to pry the man off of his companion. La only tightened the grip.

"I can't control it!" the man yelled as his partner fought against him. "I can't control my hands. I'm sorry, I can't stop!" man yelled, terror and fear all in his voice. The sound of fear only made La smile and she leaned herself against one of the buildings and watched.

"What the hell's going on here?" another man yelled and started searching the grounds in the commotion. For some reason, La didn't get the urge to move, in fact she wanted him to see her. She wanted all of them to see her.

"It's that contractor!" the man said and La waved polite to the man.

"Hi." she mouthed to him and waved just as the man collapsed to his death by the hands of his friend.

"I didn't…I didn't mean I swear!" the man said and dropped to his knees, nearly in tears.

"It's that bitch!" the man who spotted La said and all the men turned to La, guns in hand. La started to run as the bullets went flying. She rolled on the ground, locking eyes with one man who turned to his friend, pointing the gun at him. Another man, ran up to him and pushed him down just as La made him shoot. The bullet went flying in the air and the man hit the ground.

"Damn" La said, realizing she lost her own concentration on him. She tried to focus her attention on someone else but a man grabbed her from behind. He elbowed her in the stomach and La buckled over, feeling as if her stomach had been smashed in. the man chuckled and threw her to the ground. La turned quickly and fastened her eyes on the man. Horror struck, the man punched himself in the stomach before reaching for his neck. La quickly got to her feet but she was too late, the men were to close. She rushed to her feet but another man came and punched her right in the jaw. She smacked the ground, landing on her stomach, the man stood over, and grabbed a fist full of her hair just as the others made it to them.

"That was a good show girly." the man whispered in her ear. "If you weren't a filthy contractor you might be cute." the man chuckled.

"You do know I can kill you from here." La said with a chuckle but knew all too well that she was reaching her limit.

"I know who you are Lajonet and I also know, you can't contro-" the man paused at the sudden thrust a dagger in his back the a volt of electricity raced through his body and he rolled off of her. La and the men turned in time to see glimpses of Hei pass through the crowd, shocking people as he went.

"It's BK201! Get to doll and go!" a man yelled and all the men started towards the three vans lined up at the docks. La also, ran towards the vans, putting her headphones in her ears. Blaring horns from Duke Ellington orchestra ignited her senses as the tone of _Take the A Train _started up. She raced towards the vans as Hei was busy fighting the men away. The vans started up and began pulling off.

"Shit!" La yelled pushing a man out of her way. She paused surveying the area. In front of her was a parking lot with cars. She raced toward it, picking up a rock in the process. She threw it at a small blue compact car, shattering the window. La jumped in, and hot wired the car to start.

"Hei!" she yelled as she pulled up next him. They raced down through the Speicherstadt, the warehouse district; the jazz band playing in La's ears as her theme music. On all sides, the two were surrounded by tightly packed red brick gothic style builds. In the early morning hours, the sound of the car zooming by was an odd noise. The people they passed all turned heads, as La hurried down the street.

"There, I see a van." Hei said and La made a hastily right which caused the tires to skid and the car to rock. Still, La pushed, pressing on the brakes than switching back to the gas, she turned into the skid and got the car back on track to follow the white van. They followed it over an over pass that connected the warehouse district to the rest of the city. The motorcade of vans veered right and La followed suit. She revved the engine and jumped in the right lane. Gaining speed, she was side by side with them. With a quick turned, La rammed the car into the side of the van. It swerved and the driver pointed his gun from the window and shot randomly. La pressed the breaks, falling behind. She shifted gears, again trying to speed up.

"Look." Hei said, looking in the front mirror. A black sports car was coming up fast behind them and didn't seem to have any intention of stopping. La looked too, and turned around in her seat to get a better view.

"Is that…" she said aloud by stopped when she noticed Hei staring, waiting for her to finish. La turned her attention back to vans, ignoring Hei's intimidating stare down. She picked up speed again just as the black car pulled along side her and rammed in the side of the car. They veered to the far left, nearing hitting a car that was passing. Horns were blaring as La tried to regain control of the car. The black car also switched lanes. La pressed on her brakes and jumped behind the black car, ramming him from the back. La and Hei jerked forward at the impact, she released the gas and pressed on it again, hitting the black car one its far left in. That caused the car to deviate right. As they raced down the streets of Berlin's business district, the white vans became more and more distant. The traffic became heavier as they got in areas of high traffic and more white vans became apart of the sea of cars.

"Not again, damn it!" La yelled and hit the steering wheel. She tried looking far ahead but it was too late, the vans and Mat were lost in the sea of cars.

They drove, silently and aimlessly through the German streets. La's face was set in front of her, seeing but not seeing where she was going. Truly, she had no real direction now.

"Who was in the black car?" Hei finally asked, breaking the stagnating silence between them. But La didn't give him any notice. She turned the car to a main street and parked it. La got out and Hei did the same walked around to her side of the car.

"La," he said but the girl moved around him and kept going towards the small restaurant in front of her. Mao, came flying down from atop the building and perched himself on the roof of the car.

"Where have you been?" Hei asked, watching as La went to the payphone.

"I've been flying around, watching this little show. La sure isn't hard to contain when she's determined." the pigeon joked and twitched his feathers.

"She's hiding something from us. On the road back there, the man in the black car I'm sure she knew it was." Hei remarked, eyes still fastened on the girl.

"Well, in all fairness, she doesn't exactly have a reason to trust us. But when did you decide to help?" Mao asked, with a twinge of sarcasm in his voice. Hei ignored the question.

La held the phone close to her mouth, whispering as best she could. It was no secret that Hei was watching her. The man's stare felt like a million needles digging into her back. But now was not the time to play games, not when she was so close to getting Mathieu back.

"Dominic? Are you still there? What about the move, are things going as planned?" La whispered and tightened her grip on the phone.

"Yes, La I'm here and the move is slow and steady. Although, finding these people you asked about with just a van license plate will take some time, a few hours at the most. For now, I'm sending you some money, you should be able to pick it up at any money exchange station. Buy yourself a phone, I'll send you all the information I gather to it. Understood?"

"Yeah I got it. And Jean? What of him, has he contacted you yet?"

"I'm afraid not, but don't worry, we can track him if necessary." La nodded in response and both parties hung up the phone. La turned to her current traveling companions, who were still waiting by the car. She walked to them, around Hei and opened her door.

"Well are you coming are not?" she asked without looking at them.

"Not until you tell us what's really going on." Mao replied, hoping that he could get more information out of her than Hei. La huffed and sat in the drivers set.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked for your help. I'll tell what I can…over some lunch." La closed the door and waited for the others to get in the car before pulling off.

"A double is all we have for now on such short notice Miss." the old German Inn owner said. The man, bit down on his wooden pipe and scratched his head. "I don't see why such a young couple like yourselves would want separate rooms though…"

"Oh no sir, you have it wrong," Hei said with a shy laugh and smiled. "We're not a couple, she's an old friend from college and we're on a sort of world tour. But Cecilia is terrible with planning ahead." La shot a Hei a glare that would freeze any normal man's blood, then turned back to the innkeeper and smiled.

"Yes, I'm just so spontaneous. Life is so much better that way." La played along.

"Her spontaneity always lands us in these kinds of situations. So, can we have that room sir?" Lee finally wrapped it up and the old man gladly gave them the key and wished them a good evening. The two, along with a caged in Mao, walked normally down the hall to room 203. Once inside, all pretenses were dropped. The room was bigger than expected given the price La paid for it. The walls were decorated in maroon wallpaper, laced with white wall trimmings. The carpet was an off-putting maroon with golden patters all over it. Nevertheless, the beds were made up with crisp white sheets and a beige throw cover was folded at the foot of the twin beds. La sat Mao down on the small sandalwood desk and headed towards the bathroom. She closed the door and locked it behind herself. How had it been since she had a descent shower? Two, three days? She couldn't remember. La walked to the shower and turned on the hot water. Sticking her hand under the shower head, she let the water run on her hands until it burned than she jerked it away. Once her clothes were removed, the only thing left on her body was the cross necklace, the girl got it, letting the warm water sting her back.

"How long have I been searching for you?" La whispered and held her head down. Drops of hot water cascaded across her shoulders, forcing her hair to make a blanket of brown. She inhaled the stem and closed her eyes.

"How long, before I find you Mat?" she whispered again. She tilted her head back, allowing the water to penetrate through her hair, down to her scalp. La closed her eyes as the hot water showered her face. She brushed it from her eyes, then opened them.

"Should I trust them? Hei and Mao, can I trust them? I don't know, and it doesn't matter anymore. I have to get you back by any means necessary. But why, I have no rational reason to chase after you? What is this emotion? This feeling I have for you? I've never know feelings. I can't put a name to what I feel, this force, that drives me to keep searching for you. All I know is that I want you back Mat, that's all I know…" La reached for the soap and washed herself slowly, being careful to reached every curve and crease of her body. The bathroom was filled with smoke that seeped into the room once La was done. She dressed herself in some sleepwear she bought with the money Dominic sent her. Truly, the hot bath made La realize how tired she really was.

Hei looked down at the city of Berlin from their room window. At night, there were lights lit everywhere and to him it was like any other major city. A mix of old and new, blended together like an artist portrait; if you'd seen one city, you've seen them all. He sighed and turned to Mao who was picking at the bread La gave to him. He wasn't expecting this mission to take the turn that it had. But if his hunch was right, which he was sure it was, he couldn't let La get any closer to her precious doll. No, he couldn't allow something like that to happen again. La finally emerged from her shower, drying her hair in a towel. She leaned against the wall, rubbing the towel around her neck to catch the dripping water.

"So it's still true that women take longer in the shower than men, huh? Even for a contractor." Mao joked and La laughed a little.

"I suppose." she said, drying the very tips of her hair. Hei watched, waiting for her to finish so she could confirm what he already knew. The deal was to talk about it over lunch, by all of them were so hungry that talking became a nonexistent factor.

"And you nearly burned the bathroom down." Mao commented again, as the steam rolled into the room.

"As a child, I liked hot showers and bath, steaming hot until it turned my skin red. I don't know why." La said with a shrug and looked to Hei. "Aren't you going to shower too?"

"That can wait, for now, you can tell us exactly who you are and why your doll is being hunted down." Hei cut straight to business, not willing to waste anymore time. La rolled her wet hair into a tight bun, tucking any stray strand behind her ears. She nodded, sensing the seriousness in Hei's voice. She'd already made up her mind to give away some information.

"I'll tell you what I can. My name is Lajonet Beaudroux, and I work NYCO, a small underground research organization stationed in France. A little over 9 months ago, information about NYCO was leaked from one of our researchers to a French double agent named Etienne. It was only preliminary information, nothing major but as you can imagine, we wanted to stay underground. Mat and I personally saw to Etienne's end, however; I think we have another rogue worker."

"The person you saw in the black car." Hei commented and La nodded in response.

"Exactly, and if that's true than it means that more information about our organization has been leaked than previously presumed. My goal now is to find Mat, get rid of the double agent and destroy any information that the CIA my have."

"Sounds like a hell of a lot of work for a 'small research organization'. What the hell do you do at NYCO?" Hei said and walked over to La. She stood up straight, almost standing toe to toe with him.

"I told you, we research." La walked pass him towards her bed. "I already have someone searching for the people we chased today, I should have that information by tomorrow." La pulled the sheets back and climbed in bed, not bothering to acknowledge her companions. "If you plan on coming, I suggest you get some rest."

"I wasn't finishing questioning you. You still haven't told me why they are after Mathieu." Hei stated, turning towards La. She didn't answer, instead, she turned over and pulled the covers over her face. Hei frowned, he knew he wasn't getting anything else out of her tonight. But what she told him did answer a few of his question.

"I'm going take a shower." he said to no one in particular and walked into bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Guess its sleep time then." Mao said, and flew to the nightstand between the two beds, he pecked at the small button on the lamp until the light went out. Closed his eyes and went to sleep, just as the water from the shower came on.


	6. From Paris: Montpellier

_**I do apologize for taking so long to get this next chapter out! I haven't abandoned this story. Neglected? Maybe, but it wasn't purposely done! Moving on, thank you everyone who's been keeping up and messaging me, it's all greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll try to get back to have a new chapter every week :)**_

* * *

Montpellier, France:

During the early hours of morning, the only noise heard in the room was the constant ticking and whooshing of the ceiling fan. Despite its vigorous movements, once the air reached the people sleeping below; it was just a gentle breeze. The breeze rippled through the room, skating across the sheets on the bed and brushed against the cheeks of the girl laying there. La laid still, curled beneath the sheets. She stared, blankly at the wall in front of her. It's off-putting wallpaper began contorting into odd shapes, playing tricks on her eyes. When she blinked, they would go away and as she stared motionless again, the shapes would form and her eyes tingled.

La straightened her legs slowly, cautiously, as if the rustling of the sheets would wake her companions. She turned on her back and looked up at the beige ceiling where the dusty wooden fan hung down. Each blade moved in sync, one after the other until they all seemed to blur together. It was almost laughable how the violent movements, seeming as if the fan would shake itself right from the ceiling, only created a gentle gust of wind. La looked at it, but not really watching the fan. She'd hardly slept that night. So many thoughts raced through her mind, they wouldn't grant her the luxury of sleep. It wasn't the first time she had a sleepless night since Mat was taken. No, she'd had plenty. Restlessness was a concept La was getting used too.

Thin rays of sunlight crept into the room and stretched its arms across the floor. La reached under her pillow and looked at the time on her phone. The blue glowing numbers revealed that it was 7:08 in the morning. She groaned, moved the sheets back and swung her legs over the bed. Morning was her least favorite time of the day, and moving out of bed, even from a restless night, made La a bit cranky. She crossed the room quickly and closed the bathroom door behind her. With the phone in her hand, she turned on the shower just as it vibrated; 7:10, of course Dominic would be on time. La sat down, resting her back on the cold white acrylic. She shivered, as the hairs on her neck, across her shoulders and down her arms stood up. Her pores opened as if to rid her body of the sudden chill. La pressed talked and held the phone up to her ear. It was silent.

"Dominic?" she asked nonchalantly. Another paused before she heard him exhale.

"You were a ring late." Dominic finally said. La snorted and pulled her legs up to her chest.

"It wasn't my idea to let it ring four times before answering. At any rate, you know it's me. We have approximately 2 minute to talk. He maybe listening in right now, I wouldn't put it pass him." La kept her eyes on the base of the door. From what she could tell, the lights in the room were still off. Nevertheless, she fastened her gaze to the threshold, scanning for shadows that indicated movement.

"There's a train that leaves at 1:45 sharp. I've booked you and your traveling _friend_ a ticket."

"What about Mat?" She asked, ignoring his obvious sarcasm regarding Hei.

"Since you gave me such little information, it took longer than usual to trace it," he paused and La imagined him pushing is glasses up his nose. A habit he had formed over the years, not that his custom-made glasses actually slid down that often. "The van was left at the airport late last night. They have already left Berlin which is why I need you back here. The vans were owned by a local catering company, double agents no doubt. I've crossed referenced the faces of the men driving the van with every airport camera in the world. It seems they made their way from Berlin to Istanbul and are currently on a flight to Tokyo."

_Tokyo? Why would the CIA not bring him to America? _La eyed the door now, as a realization sudden struck her. _It's can't be…_

"Oh yes and I've taken the liberty to investigate your friend as well." La shivered. This time, it was from Dominic's tone, knowing he was about to confirm what just crossed her mind. How could she have been so blind?

_Has he been…_

"Seems he's had some dealings of his own in Tokyo. Quite a few in fact. It only makes me wonder why you chose to drag him along with you." La said nothing, her eyes fixed to the door handle. She held the phone loosely in her grip and tried to process everything that had happened between then and now. What had she missed? Why had she missed it? The heat from the shower was starting to fog the bathroom and the phone was starting to get moist in her hands.

_Is that why he agreed to come with me?_

"You've become lax." Dominic said flatly and La clinched her jaw. He was right. She'd let her guard down and invited the enemy in. She narrowed her eyes at the door now; how could she be so naïve.

"Why bring him then?" La said through gritted teeth. She had no defense against Dominic's accusation. He had made a good point. The man sighed and La heard a light rusting of the phone.

"Because he's useful for my present investigation. I've happened upon something new to research. As for you though, La, perhaps the 'side effect' from the experiments are starting to cloud your judgment? You are still a contractor after all, rationality is you nature."

La bit back a response. She swallowed her words and instead gripped the phone tighter. Small beads of water formed on the floor beneath her feet and on the solid white door. A small buzzing sound was forming in her right ear, but La ignored it. She looked back down at the threshold, scanning as she tried to think of her next strategy. Yes, rationality was her nature but she'd miscalculated like any other human being. Human being? The word made the buzzing sound intensity. No, she was a contractor not a human. But why not? Why couldn't she be both. The thought confounded her and she straightened her legs on the wet floor.

"Or perhaps you're developing some newly discovered 'emotion' for him?" Dominic's voice snapped her back to reality. The very sentence left a bitter taste in her mouth and she lowered her eyes as if Dominic was looking her face to face.

"Our 2 minutes are up." was all she said before hanging up. She sat still, unmoving nor thinking. The sound of the water hitting the bottom of the tub was slowly being drowned out by the increasing humming in her head. La rubbed her ears briefly before stripping down. She didn't need a shower, but she needed to look wet. She stood directly under the shower head with hopes that the hot water would do something to her nerves. It stung for a moment but she fought against moving .

She tilted her head, letting the water run into her ears. She'd do as Dominic asked and bring Hei along, even if she didn't like it. _Because that's what family does._ La thought back on the words her father had told her as she turned off the water. It was one of the first things she learned from her experiments. He'd made it a point for her to understand loyalty and respect. It was not selfish, there was no personal gain, you did something simply because of someone's position in your life. Respect was the first concept her father trained her on and then loyalty. It was this type of thinking that fueled her hunt for Mat. She would be loyal to her doll, her campaign, as he had been so loyal to her. Even though her moral position correlated to her bad judgment; it was the thread that made her feel somewhat connected to the rest of humanity.

La walked to the mirror, wrapping a towel around her wet form. She wiped the condensation away and looked at her reflection. _Loyalty. _She didn't much fancy the idea as a child but as she grew it became her motto for life. Something she knew her father would be proud of, if he were alive. Her loyalty to his cause was still unchanging and so was her loyalty to her family. Since it was her father who made Dominic his successor, she pledged herself to him as her boss. Even more so, she respected him as her older brother. And despite her own feelings, she would do as he said and bring Hei.

La splashed some cold water on her face and rubbed the excess through her already wet hair. Slowly, she cracked open the door and peeked out. It was quiet, save the ceiling fan and the sun had made its way further in the sky. She hurried to her bed and slid the phone under her pillow and turned to the person across from her. Hei laid with his back to her. His sheets were crooked, laying diagonally upon his bare back. She noticed first, as her eyes had already adjusted to the lighting, the patter of scars across his back. La stared at them, noticing the odd shape they made, much like the wallpaper did earlier, when she connected them mentally. As her eyes traveled up his back, Hei's broad naked shoulders caught her attention. The tension in them, they're movements, a rhythmic wave of up and down, La hadn't noticed over the sound of the fan how heavy Hei was breathing. She pulled her towel up closer to her chest, using her hand to keep it firmly in place. La crossed the small space between them, softly and consciously placing every step on the maroon carpet.

_What is he doing? _La thought as her curiosity got the better of her judgment. She stood over him now, a dark silhouette by his bedside. He was curled up, almost childlike as he slept. La noticed his eyes fluttering, shifting back and forth but never opening. His lips were slightly parted, loose strains of hair brushing against his forehead with every turn of the fan. The breeze made La shiver and she held her arms. He mutter something, gibberish really, but it was enough to make La hold her breath. Hei twitched and she watched in awe as his eyes began dancing more rapidly now. She leaned forward, holding her hair so it wouldn't drip on the sleeping contractor and wake him. Turning her head away, she exhaled quietly then inhaled and turned back to him. She leaned now so that her face was closer to his. _Is he…? _

La's thoughts were interrupted as Hei grabbed her by the throat. In a moment, he had her to the ground, crouching over her with a dagger to her chest. He might have stabbed if La hadn't reacted quickly and grabbed Hei's wrist. The impact from her head hitting the floor caused her hair to spread out, some sticking to the side of her face. It was silent in the room once again, minus the ever-present sound of the ceiling fan and their breathing. La laid motionless beneath Hei; his chest heaving as if he had just finished a vigorous battle. Hei didn't move either, his eyes stern but empty as he stared at the girl.

"Why were you standing over me?" Hei finally asked. La blinked, unsure whether to counterattack or not. Any movement put her at risk of exposing herself to him, as she had released her towel to keep the dagger from plunging a hole through her. And the thin piece of terry cloth had significant loosened from the impact. Still, she truly meant him no harm, but seeing him so apprehensive made her a bit unnerved. It wasn't that he assumed an offensive position that had La so indecisive; it was everything else. When they fought, he seemed so posed, and every movement was calculated, concrete and purposeful, even when he was caught off guard. Now, the man above her seemed a bit more wild and primitive rather than a skilled fighter. And the most fascinating part about it was, she wasn't his intended target, no, it was the person in his dream.

"Who were you dreaming of?" La finally asked. Hei blinked as if the question surprised him and La waited for his answer. He straightened up and La removed her hand from his wrist. She noticed his realization of her present choice of clothing as he stood quickly.

"Contractors don't have dreams." Hei replied and extended his hand to help the girl but La refused it. She grabbed the top of her towel and stood on her own. Hei walked to the chair at the foot of his bed where his undershirt lay. La watched him, not satisfied in the least with his answer.

"And you shouldn't stand over people like that." he added and pulled it over his head. La walked up to him, standing with her arms folded.

"If I wanted to kill you I could have." she said and it was very much true. Her contract allowed her that liberty.

"So could I." Hei shot back and La mentally berated herself. Had he also noticed her laxness? Even if he had, she wasn't about to allow him the gratitude of knowing it was unconsciously done or that there wasn't some underlining purpose. La lowered her eyes at him, and Hei did the same. Her chest tightened slightly and it took her by surprise. _What was that? _It felt like a sharp pain and La shifted her eyes questionably at the tension, but that action left her momentarily distracted and it gave Hei the opportunity he was waiting for. Without a second thought he nearly leaped on his bed, sliding across the tangled sheets and grabbed his blade. La turned just as Hei threw it in her direction. She ducked as it passed overhead, taking strains of her hair with it before shattering the lamp on the dresser and stabbing the wall.

"Shit." La whispered, shielding herself from the loose shards. The noise made Mao wake up with a start and he chirped in shock. His noise went unnoticed by the two other contractors as Hei nearly ran towards the kneeling girl. La, anticipating this moved, grabbed her towel with one hand and swung her leg out in an attempt to clip him. Hei jumped back, stumbling in the closed quarters of their room. He snatched his dagger from the wall and stabled himself, all in the matter of seconds it took La to fully stand.

"Hey!" Mao yelled in unison with La turning to face Hei, only to be met with a blade at her at the side of her neck while she held a shard of the lamp at the side of his neck.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mao asked but his question fell on deaf ears.

_Dominic said to bring him, he didn't say I couldn't damage him a little. _La thought, but quickly dismissed it. She knew what he meant. Even so, the drive to stab him right then was so strong. She tightened her grip on the broken piece of plaster and pressed it closer to him neck. Hei did the same and La could feel her pulse beating against the cold steel and throbbing in her hand.

_He knew. _The Americans had taken Mat to Tokyo and La couldn't shake the feeling that Hei knew why. That's why he came and played her little game, all the while she was getting woven into his. The thought made her stomach turn, knowing she was so blinded by her own ambitions. But Dominic's order rang in the back of her mind.

"I could kill you." La whispered and moved her hand from his neck. She'd set her vendetta against him aside for now.

* * *

La made it a point to sit as far away from him as their train seats would allow. She crossed one leg over the other, to create even more distance despite them being on opposite sides of each other, and looked out of her window. Dominic had booked them first class double sleeper for the beginning half of their 18 hour ride. But La hardly slept through the ride. All of her attention was on Hei, watching, judging his every move. He didn't sleep either, she noted, and it's probably because he was doing the same to her.

_I won't lose focus again. _La thought and as the greenery of the French countryside passed them by in a bit of a blur. Unbeknown to her, she had clenched the fist that was resting on her knee while her other hand reached for her necklace. She felt Mao brush up against her leg and she glanced at him. His big brown eyes stared at her, tilting his head as if he was inspecting her actions. Once they'd crossed over into France, Mao decided to blend more with the culture and transfer himself to a dog again. Time wasn't on his side and all he could find was a Papipoo, with a black coat reaching from his ears, down his back and circling his tale. And a white coat which covered his under belly and down his legs.. La looked away from his scrutinizing, ignoring his attempts to get her attention. She side glanced at Hei who had his eyes closed and his head slightly bent down.

"Are you dreaming again Hei?" she asked with a slightly accusatory tone and the contractor slowly lifted his head. They passed under a small overpass and everything around them darkened. It was only a few seconds before the train emerged. Rays of sunlight flickered between the trees and into their cabin, and across Hei's face. He looked at La, dismissing the contempt in her tone.

"I told you, contractors don't dream." Hei responded and watched as they passed a small hill, the grayish rock didn't in the less disturb the rows of wine grapes around it. La sighed and looked out of the window as well, her transparent reflection staring back at her. The train jerked a little and Mao moved closer to La. She didn't much notice as her mind drifted elsewhere.

"Liar." La frowned and looked down at her lap.

_He's a contractor yet he can dream_… La thought as they passed another vineyard that was laid diagonally along the hillside. _He dreams and, come to think of it_, La glanced at him once more, _I've never seen his reparation. _La furrowed her brows, she felt as if someone had reached inside of her and twisted her stomach. _Who is this man that I…trusted_. Admitting it to herself made the boiling reach up to her throat and caused it to contract, suffocating her breathes. Her heart raced and she fought the urge to speak. _Who are you Hei? What do you really know about Mat? What do you want from me? _Even now, thinking of the things she wanted to say only made her throat tighten more and La further pressed her brows together. It was a feeling she'd never known, an emotion. She bit her lip, unsure of what to call it and that only made the feeling intensify. _What is this emotion? This contractor, ever since I met him, he's made me…feel. Emotions, things I can't describe and so many of them. How can he make me have emotions? How can he have dreams? How? Damn him. _

Unable to hold it anymore, La stood. The abruptness of her movement made Mao jerk his head up.

"Where are you going?" Mao asked, but La ignored him, going through the sliding door and stepped into the hallway. She pressed herself against the wall and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. The movement of the train, settled the feelings in her stomach a bit and she titled her head down. Against her own warning, La was getting distracted. Her main objective was getting her comrade back and securing NYCO. Hei and Mao were leverage and nothing more. She heard the door open but she wouldn't look up.

"Are you okay?" that voice made her insides cringe a bit. She opened her eyes and saw Hei standing in front of her as distant and uninvolved as always.

"I'm fine." she said plainly and pushed herself from the wall. Hei didn't move, scrutinizing her just as Mao had done in the taxi earlier that day. His expression almost made her sick and La suddenly felt the need to defend her answer and herself.

"Liar." Hei said and the words echoed in La's ears and left a bad taste in her mouth. Now she was feeling apprehensive and the contractor before her seemed more her enemy than leverage. The twisted feeling in her gut that had once settled was stirred up again and she fought the urge to use her ability on him.

"That's a bit hypocritical." La said through gritted teeth. The 'emotion' now boiling in her core. How dare he call her a liar? What gave him the right when sat pretending?

Hei didn't respond at first, he stood, with his hands in his jeans pocket, surveying La's reaction to a simple statement. She had called him a liar earlier when, in fact, he wasn't lying at all. Contractors don't dream, he never denied that he was having one though.

"I didn't lie to you so I'm no hypocrite." Hei finally said. La rolled her eyes and looked away from him. Her actions seeming so childish to Hei that he had to suppress the urge to chuckle.

"So answer the question, were you dreaming or weren't you?" La turned back to him and waited.

"Why is dreaming of such importance to you?" Hei asked.

"Don't deviate from the question!" La raised her voice. Immediately following she felt open as if she'd just exposed something and that feeling only made the boiling in her stomach raise until it was clenching her chest. How could he draw some much from her in such little time?

"Everybody has dreamt before, humans and contractors alike. it's a subconscious act that,"

"Stop!" La yelled again, cutting him off, "I know the definition of dream, I don't need you to be a dictionary. God, I swear, your presumptuous attitude makes me so…so. Shit, I can't even find the word!" La felt exposed again and she looked down, the feeling now reaching her throat, threatening her breathing again.

"You're angry," Hei interjected. "It's a feeling you get when you feel as if someone has wronged you in some way." La looked at him, processing what he said. She was angry, that was the emotion she was feeling now. But the reason for begin upset eluded her. Was it really Hei that this anger was directed towards or was she mad at herself? No, his attitude, his deception, his denial that he couldn't do something she had wanted since the day she was born. Hei was the cause of her anger.

"It's unnatural for contractors to be controlled by emotions like you are. Just like it's unnatural for you to feel for Mathieu the way you do." Hei said and La recoiled at his statement.

_So it is about Mat. You bastard._

"Unnatural? Don't you dare bring Mat into this. You don't know the first thing about him or us." La closed the distance between them, not that there was much in the narrow walkway, warning him that he was trending dangerous territory. Hei ignored this and lowered his eyes to her level. He had no intentions of backing down and it was obvious that she wasn't going to either.

"Mat is a lifeless, soulless doll. He doesn't feel anything, he can't. He follows orders and does what you tell him to do. There is no future between you two, the sooner you realize that the better."

La couldn't hold it anymore. The anger that had brewed in her stomach and pushed it's way to her throat was now begging for an outlet. And La, unable to hold herself back, reached up and slap Hei across the face. The sound echoed in the empty hallway and Hei's face swung to the right. He held it there, looking towards the ground and La just watched him. The door to their cabin opened and Mao crept out to witness the scene. Hei looked up at La, a procession of red lines were starting to form on his left cheek.

"I told you to keep Mat out of this." La finally said in a deadly calm tone, "How the fuck do you know anything about dolls? You don't even have one." With that said, La walked back in to the main cabin, taking her seat. She ignored the stares from the few people who shared the cart with them and turned towards the window. It felt good to release her angry the way she did an a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. She closed her eyes and exhaled just as a loud thump made her jerk her head up. La looked up to see Hei towering over her. The sudden impact of his hand hitting the window where her face once rested made La's heart race. He was practically on top of her, hovering like an ominous dark cloud. She couldn't move forward nor could she slide sideways, Hei's body was almost stretched across the seat.

"Don't tell me what I don't know. It's you who doesn't know a damn thing about dolls." Hei said but to La it came off more as a threat. Those once deep blue eyes appeared darker than black, seeming to pierce through her soul. She tried, in vain, to back up but there was nowhere for her to go.

"Move." was all she could say and her tone reflected her determination not to be intimidated.

"Hei, now isn't the time or the place." Mao chimed in as he notice they were drawing a lot of unwanted attention. A stewardess was making her way over to scene. Hei stayed there a moment, before backing up slowly.

"Excuse me, Miss. Is there a problem?" the stewardess said once she reached them.

"No," Hei responded and took his seat. The woman ignored him, all of her concerns for the young woman, who from a distance, looked pinned to her seat by a man almost twice her size.

"I'm fine thank you." La responded. The hand print was now fully visible on Hei's face and La was sure that the woman noticed.

"If you need anything, anything at all don't be afraid to ask." the woman said, putting particular emphasis on _afraid_. This didn't go unnoticed by Hei and he glanced at the woman who gave him a mean stare in return.

"Well then, I suppose I will be going." the stewardess said and reluctantly walked away.

"What is with you two and the sudden outburst of nearly killing each other?" Mao questioned as soon as the other woman was out of earshot.

"We're contractors," La responded, holing Hei's gaze, "We do what we want, want aids us with no regard for others. We're emotionless, rational creatures."

"We don't act out in public places that could put people and our partners at risk!"

"He's not my partner." La quickly countered and turned back to the window. Mao was about to say something else but Hei was making his way to the hallway. La watched him for a moment, a frown settled on her face. Once he was out of view, she slouched in her seat, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms.

_He's not my partner. _La thought to herself, watching as they passed a broken bridge covered in French graffiti.

* * *

_**Please, comment, show your support of **_**From Paris!**_**! Also, if you find any errors (I'm sure you will) please let me know, but I ask that you PM me specific examples and not to write those in a comment. Please and Thanks!** _


	7. From Paris: NYCO

**I lived in Montpellier for two months so, I'm very excited to write about it! I loved the city and the people. It's sort of a mixing pot being that there are 3 different Montpellier Universities! To all of my fellow Frenchmen, I hope I do your city justice!**

* * *

"You don't have to go along with this Mao." Hei said, looking skyward at the graffiti covered walls of the train station. He scanned them, admiring the work, not that he knew exactly what it said. It was mostly quiet to say it was mid afternoon when they arrived. The cold grey asphalt felt sticky under his feet as he shifted his weight, hands deep into his jacket pocket.

"Actually I have too. I cant exactly take care of myself." Mao responded, lifting a tiny paw, showing Hei the lint that was stuck to him. The human contractor looked down at the small dog then back to the wall.

"I'm sure some little girl would be able to handle that for you."

"Ha ha, very funny. So, what's the plan." Mao nodded in the direction of the female contractor they had been traveling with all of this time. Hei looked in her direction. She was a good distances away from them, standing on the outskirts of the station in the rocks. She'd been the phone since they got off the train, and glanced back at them every so often. Hei assumed she didn't think he noticed, but he'd been watching for the entirety of the ten minutes. A breeze passed by and Hei pulled his coat closer to him. He thought the south of France would be warmer, but even in early summer there was still a chill.

"I'm going along with whatever she's planning." he finally responded. Then train that had been parked when they got there made a grunting noise and started moving along the steel tracks. A new group of people started towards the platform, waiting for the next train.

"To say we've been partners for years now, I don't get why you're going along with this." Hei looked back to La, she had a finger to her ear, probably trying to block the grinding sound of the train. She was speaking in French he assumed, not he could actually here. She was pacing, making small circles in the rocks. She glanced up, and for a second they were eye to eye before she turned away quickly and looked back out towards the street.

"Because she knows where he is, or at least she has a lead. When I find out where he is, I'm going to put an end to whatever the CIA is planning." Hei reached for the collar on his green coat and pulled it closer around his neck.

"But Hei,"

"I let this happen once Mao, I'm not letting it happen again." Hei answered before the dog could finish.

"Mat isn't," Mao paused considering his choices "He isn't Izanami. Amber's prophecy only talked about one evolved doll not all of them."

"We don't know that for sure." Hei said and proceed towards La who was walking to them.

"He's here, let's go." La said and guided them through the gate to a small alley like exit. They turned a slightly and was greeted by a driver, dressed in all black and directly behind him a red car that looked rather expensive.

"Fancy that." Mao whispered as the driver opened the door.

"Mademoiselle La, such a pleasure to have you back with us. Monsieur Hei and un chien, this way, si vous plais." The driver said and gestured with his hand that they enter the car. La got in first and the other two followed suit.

"Mademoiselle La, 'ow was your trip?" the driver said as he started the car. La sighed and looked ahead without answering. The man nodded into the mirror and focused his attention back on the road. Hei watched as they drove down the narrow French streets, lined with close nit buildings. It wasn't like Paris, he noted, but the south of France seemed to have been influenced by some other cultures. He also noted the bustling crowds of young students of all nationalities. They turned another corner and the street opened up into what he assumed was the city center. It was a wonder they were able to drive through the crowded area. The driver honked the horn as the had to pause by a water fountain to a large group of tourist past by. Hei glanced over to La who had her face in her phone, metaphorically speaking. She hadn't torn herself away from the thing since crossing the border to France, what was so important on the thing that she couldn't look up.

"Ah do apologize for de delay, as you can see, we 'ave quite a few vizitors this year." The driver said and smiled into the mirror. La just grunted and closed the phone. She looked out of the window at the familiar restaurants and gelato venues they passed by. A smiled tugged at the corner of my mouth as she reminisced on times she and her father would come down for L'estival. She'd always get the same thing, paella and the ginger mint drink for the African woman and if she had room, two scoops of lavender ice cream. It was a pastime that, back then, she didn't quite understand how to enjoy. But now, thinking back on her, Dominic and their father sitting on the cold cement steps behind the bandstand, as waves of French gypsy music propelled the people's festive spirit, La could at least appreciate those moments.

"Reminiscing?" the deep voice broke her from her thoughts and she turned to face Hei who, despite asking, looked seemingly uninterested in her answer.

"Maybe." she said and turned forward not wanting to engage in any further conversation with him. Hei shrugged and turned back towards the window. They had now made it out of the square and into a more residential area. Wherever they were headed, it didn't seem to him as some sort of research facility. Then again, La had said that NYCO was an underground research center, they wouldn't be in something as obvious as a building.  
The car stopped in front of an iron gated home. The driver stepped out and opened the door for La. She nodded and he titled his hat to her. Hei, not wanting to wait let himself out of the car and Mao followed suite.

"Oh Monsieur, ah was coming to open your door." the driver, seeming slightly offended that Hei did it himself. Hei mumbled a quick apology before following behind La. The house was big, but rather old looking. There were several trees in the front yard which hung over the black iron gate, giving the place an ominous feel. Once inside the yard, the first thing that hit him was the overpowering smell of lavender. Mao sneezed and Hei tried intently to hold his back while La seemed unaffected by the scent. On either side of them was a well manicured garden of mainly lavender plants mixed other herbs and greenery. Hei, half expected there to be a vineyard planted, as they had passed so many on the train to Montpellier.  
Hei looked up at the house, which looked must nicer up close. The dark old wood only added character to the traditional French doors and shutters. He was admiring the craftsmanship so much, that he hadn't noticed he's stop walking.

"Are you coming?" La said, holding the front door open. Hei looked at her and Mao who almost made it up the steps before proceeding inside.

* * *

"Come this way." La said, leading the way through the earthy orange hallway, lined with antique vases. Mao, walked carefully close to Hei, so as not to bump into anything. She lead them towards a pair of large French double doors. She knocked and waited.

"It's open." A voice called from inside, La sighed before turning the knob that lead to the library. The room was average sized but looked much bigger with the tall ceilings and large bay window. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all fully stocked with books. The carpet was a deep forest green and in the middle of the room was a desk which Dominic was casually seated behind. He looked up, pushing up his glasses simultaneously and smiled. The sunlight glossed over his glasses to were you couldn't see his eyes, the notion made Hei feel uneasy.

"La, my dear little sister, so good to have you back home." He called and his voice seemed echo through the room. La walked over to him, and kissed each cheek.

"Likewise brother." La said, but the formality didn't suit her and sounded forced. She stood next to him and from Hei's vantage point, they looked like an old family portrait.

"Ah," Dominic said, finally focusing on Hei and Mao. He titled his head down to where the glare on his glasses was gone and Hei was finally able to see his eyes. "You must be Hei, so good of you to come." he said and smiled again, Hei didn't return the gesture.

"And who are you?' Hei finally said. Both men looked sternly at each other before Dominic spoke.

"I'm Dominic, La's elder brother and CEO, if you will, of NYCO. I'm sure you've heard of it by now, yes?" The pretentious air around the man made Hei mentally gag. If not for their seeming identically eyes, both in oval shape and deep amber color, Hei wouldn't have guessed that they were related. Whatever this guy was up to, Hei would play the game until he founded the doll.

"Yeah, I know it." he said finally and started to walk towards them before Domini stopped him.

"No, I'll come to meet my guest." Hei waited for him to stand but Dominic made no such gesture. Instead he reached down and La stood back as Dominic rolled his wheelchair around the desk towards the two contractors.

"He's a cripple?" Mao whispered as the man approached them. Domini held up his hand and Hei removed his from his pocket to greet him formally.  
"And you must be Mao. My, what an unusual form to chose." Dominic said looking at the tiny dog. Mao cringed mentally at the slight insult but remained calmed.

"Yeah, not much choices in a dog loving country." Mao joked and Dominic chuckled slightly.

"Well then, enough formalities for one day. Shall we get to the matter at hand then?" Dominic said more than he asked, and turned towards the bookshelves, fully expecting all to follow.

"As I'm sure La has told you," he spoke whiling pulling a book from the self which relived a keypad. "NYCO was founded by our father, Dr. Francis Beaudroux perhaps you've heard of him?" Dominic punched in the numbers and one of the shelves gave way to ad door.  
"Yeah, he was one of Frances top researchers on contractor behavioral studies but fell off the map years ago." Mao commented and Dominic turned his head to him and smiled.

"That's correct, this way gentlemen." Dominic said and walked into the door and the others followed suit. They walked down the narrow hallway which opened up into a much larger room which was filled with computers, and equipment one would find a physical therapist office. Despite having all of these things, there was no one working in there.

"Our father was quiet the researcher. He was amongst the greatest scientific minds to partner with PANDORA to figure out how contractors work. He was the man who figured out that a person, for lack of a better word, represses their memories after becoming a contractor."

"If he was so great, why did he disappear?" Hei asked as Dominic lead them through the maze of desk and computers.

"He didn't," La said and her voice caught Hei by surprise. She had been quiet the entire time her brother spoke, which trigger slight alarm in Hei's opinion. Dominic paused to face them as La walked around to stand next to him.

"Almost a year to date, give or take a few months, after the Gates appeared" Dominic continued, "My dear sister here was born. She is one of the first people to be born as a contractor according to records my father kept. This news of his daughter being a contractor was something my father kept secret. Imagine how many people would have wanted to meet such a person, my father didn't want that sort of attention on him."

"That still doesn't answer why he left the federal organization to form his own." Mao remarked.

"My father believe that, despite what people said, contractors could evolve and develop the things that people believed they lacked. La continued for her brother, " by day he would work in the lab gather as much data from his team as possible and at night he'd use that data and compare it with my own behavior and reaction to certain scenarios he'd create. His hypothesis was that contractors could evolve and acquire emotions that they would then apply to daily decision making."

"So he used his own daughter as a guinea pig for his theory." Hei said flatly and La frowned at the comment.

"I'd like to think of it as being resourceful," Dominic responded with that smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Our father has unearthed extraordinary information on evolved contractors, his passion has even stretched to the evolution of dolls," at that both Hei and Mao became fully alert. "Which they, of course go hand in hand."

"Why are you telling us all of this, "Hei asked, "if NYCO is supposed to be hidden, why trust us with the information?"

"Simple," Dominic said "Because my sister trusts you. I have no doubt in her ability to make right choices. Perhaps that is enough serious talk for now, I'm sure you just be tired. La, can you show our guest to their quarters and we can discuss all of these things further over dinner." La nodded and turned towards the door gesturing that Hei and Mao follow. Hei looked from Dominic then back to La before deciding to follow. Not because Dominic insisted, but he found La's current behavior a bit strange.

La walked on, not really focused on if Hei or Mao was behind her. Her mind was on what Dominic said just a few minutes earlier "Simply, because my sister trusts you." It wasn't at all true, that's not why he wanted Hei. In truth, she had no clue what his reasoning was, but even more so she didn't trust Hei as Dominic so eloquently put it. He was one who disapproved of her actions, in so many words.  
La rubbed her hands through her hair and sighed. Why wont Dominic tell me what he's planning? She thought grimily and turned the corner, her legs unconsciously moving towards the guest quarters while she mused over the thought. Mao cleared his throat and the sudden sounded made La turn around hastily. She looked slightly puzzled before realizing who it was.

"Oh," she mumbled.

"You seem distracted, which is a first honestly." Hei said, noticing the pained expression on her face.

"Nostalgia I guess. Here, this is you guys room." La opened the white door that lead to a simple lightly decorated bedroom, with plain white walls and off white sheets.

"About your father?" Hei asked and La walked over to dresser, turned to him and pointed.

"This is where you can put your things, the ensuite is right here," she turned slightly and opened the door behind her. "It's fully stocked so you don't have to worry about. Feel free to look around the place. It's not very big but should keep you occupied for about five minutes or so." she said dryly and proceeded towards the door.

"La," Hei said again grabbing her arm. La paused, waiting for him to say his peace but Hei just held her there for a moment before she jerked away.

"Just so you know," La started facing the door, "I loved my father and he loved me. Whatever you think you know you don't." And with that she left out of the door, closing it hard behind her. Hei stood there, watching door and the fading sound of La's footsteps before going towards the window. Mao had made himself comfortable of the bed and watched Hei move about the room. The human contractor searched through everything, the chest of drawers, closet, bathroom, and even under the bed.

"What a family huh?" Mao commented and crossed his arms over each other so as to rest his head on top. Hei came from the bathroom and turned off the light. He removed his jacket and tossed next to the dog, pulling his doubled blade dagger from his side holster and tossed that on the nightstand. As he disarmed, Mao made it a point to slide to the farthest end away from him before continuing.

"Who would have guessed her father was that famous researcher. I always wondered what happened to him though, seemed like he was living the good life."

"So you knew him personally?" Hei asked and pulled his black undershirt over his head.

"I knew of him. Everybody did really, if you were into that sort of thing, keeping up with the scientific world news. He'd made headlines a few times that I can remember."

"And the mother, what about her? Was she a contractor or human?"

"I didn't even know the man was married. Every time he was mentioned, it was always for his work. That's at least one thing I can agree with Dominic, Beaudroux didn't talk about life at home at all." Mao looked up at Hei who was intently staring at the floor, posted up against the wall. His eyes seemed empty yet searching for something. Mao knew that look, when his partner was coming up with a plan of some sort. He sighed and jumped off the bed, walking up to him.

"Well, whatever you're planning, just let us eat dinner first." The comment made Hei's stomach growl and he pushed himself off the wall and into the bathroom. He turned on the shower then fully undressed. He stepped in, allowing the water to pour down his back, as steam seemed to raise up from beneath him, opening his pores and nose. Hei tilted his head back looking up at the ceilings which was decorated with orange and beige flowers, almost resembling a fresco painting. His hair slicked back and drooped down from the water, feeling heavier than it normally would. The events of the morning replayed in his mind like a film. And in every shoot, he noted the one odd thing; La. Her demeanor, was different somehow but he couldn't put his finger on it. He dropped his, looking at the wall eye level to him as he tried to find the word to describe it. She looked so….nonchalant? Complacent? No, submissive. At the thought, he had to question himself.

"Two words that just don't fit, La and submissive." he mumbled and reached for the soap.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading guys. Sorry again for the slow update. So I had a read mention her disappointment about Hei's first shower scene being cut short. Well, I decided to make another one, hope it was to your liking!** _


	8. From Paris: NYCO part 2

NYCO, Montpellier, France Part 2:

"I just don't get you." La said, shifting her weight as she sat diagonally on Dominic's desk. She crossed her arms, staring at the pale pink of her flats. Dominic said nothing and helped himself to another before dinner cocktail. He favored the Bourbon old fashion cocktails over the fancier drinks bartenders made today. And as he added the finally touches to his drink, he maneuvered his wheelchair to turn. With the glass pressed to his lips, he looked up and saw his younger was staring at him rather begrudgingly. He raised and eyebrow, still holding the glass to mouth.

"Were you expecting an answer?" he asked and drunk his drink. La looked at him, annoyance now dancing in her delicate features. Dominic sat his glass down, satisfied with his alcohol content and wheeled pass his sister.

"You shouldn't make such faces, it's not very appealing." Dominic stated flatly and reached for the drawer to the right of his desk. La, however, reached down and forced it shut.

"Dominic, I'm serious." she said and moved her hand.

"What do want to know, La?" he asked, seeming annoyed with his sisters antics. He pushed up his glasses and laced his fingers together, on the desk.

"Answers for one thing," La started, turning her body to face his new direction, "You haven't told me anything about this new research. Then, you praise my decision of trusting Hei when just days ago you scolded me for it. I don't get it. I don't know what you're planning because you haven't even told me anything. And what about Mat? What does this have to do with anything?"

Dominic blinked, seeming to escape from a trance. His face was calm, blank even but not completely lacking emotion. He leaned back in his chair, never dropping eye contact.

"What I'm doing with this company's research," he paused to roll up the left sleeve of his pinstriped white button down, "is not your concern. You, dear sister work outside. I work inside." he smiled then and rolled up the right and glanced at his watch.

"Inside? Outside? What the hell? That's not how this partnership worked? How-"

"Partnership?" Dominic asked and cocked his eyebrow at her again in a mocking gesture. "This isn't a partnership La. I'm head, CEO. I run everything and you go where I place you."

"Father never said that. That's not what he wanted and you know it." La spat back.

"The man is dead," Dominic said with a chuckle and pushed up his glasses. "What is he going to do, come back and rebuke me? You've never liked these things, the business of business. And quite frankly, it doesn't suit you. Leave those things to me little sister. And you'll get your doll toy back soon, don't you worry. Your big brother is taking care of everything." Dominic reached for his drawer again, pulling out some papers, reviewing them as if the conversation hadn't even occurred. La took a deep breath. She knew him well enough to recognize the finality in his tone. If she wanted answers, asking directly wouldn't do. She slid off the desk and started towards the door.

"La," Dominic called not looking up from his work. "Tell our guest that dinner will be read in 5 minutes. I hope they've washed up."  
La didn't reply, the familiar tugging of anger building in her chest. True enough Dominic was the CEO but that didn't maker her his lesser. They're father never put it that way. La knew this and so did Dominic. How had he formulated his current perception, La really didn't care. She opened the door, and walked out. He couldn't keep her from finding out.

* * *

Blues faded into shades of red and sky caught fire. La sat on the gallery that crossed in front of her bedroom. She pulled the wool blanket over her shoulders as the temperature dropped with the sun. Dominic would not approve of her behavior at dinner, but what did she care? Was it not him who failed to inform her of things first? Shifting in the over-sized chair, tucking her legs under herself and watched as nature painted it's own masterpiece. _It's not the same when Mat isn't here watching with me_. Tree branches bent with a new breeze and the leaves and bird sung songs to heaven.  
La had tried to find out earlier what her brother was doing, but failed. The thought made her furrow her brow. _Why the secrecy_? She though and pulled the blanket over her cold nose. True enough, everything about NYCO was private but never from those on the inside. The whole of the company was started because of her, so for La herself not to know was wrong. The giant red ball that sunk into the horizon reminded her of where Mat was. Where she would soon be going. And the silence of the night reminded her of the lack of people here, one person, aside from Mat, in particular. La closed her eyes, and as she contemplated, the sky faded to black.

"You weren't very talkative at dinner." the voice disturbed La's thoughts and turning, she frowned at Hei who stood in the doorway. His eyes were faced forward and she mentally berated herself for not hearing him come in the room and open her sliding doors.

"This is my bedroom." she stated flatly and frowned further at the man who gave no response. "You can't just walk in here, I could have been doing anything." Hei offered no response still and, for a moment, it seemed that he hadn't noticed she was sitting there. He titled his head put a little, looking at the false stars that littered the sky.

"I could have been undressed." La tried again and that caused him to look down at her. She rolled her eyes and turned away from his gaze.

"We're going to Tokyo in a few days." Hei offered, ignoring her earlier statement. La snorted in response, and pulled her blanket closer to her neck. Hei took this as an invitation and walked to the railing, he folded his arms over it and rested against it. La shifted in her chair, pulling her legs closer to her chest and made sure that blanket covered areas she was sure would have been exposed, given the way she was sitting in a dress. Silence stretched between them and La was about to return to her own thoughts before Hei spoke.

"I thought you'd be more excited." he said to the sky.

"Is that a trick statement?" she responded in a stoic manner. Hei turned slightly, watching the woman who was watching something else in front of her. "You're too indifferent for someone who is finally getting what they want."

"Isn't that the contractor way? Show no feeling?" La grunted in complaint. She stood, clearly displeased with the conversation and walked into her bedroom. Hei followed, fully expecting an answer. La had thrown her blanket on the bed and, for a moment, Hei was distracted by the blue dress she was wearing.

"But not your way." At that La turned around, a scold on her face. Hei simply slid his hands in his pocket.

"Don't pretend like you know me. You gain a little information, a little," she squinted her pointer finger and thumb for emphasis, "And you think you can tell me how I'm supposed to act? My reaction is my own and I don't have to answer to you."

"But you have to answer to Dominic?" Hei ventured and took a step forward. Several emotions flickered in her features until she finally settled on confusion.

"Why are here? What do you want?" She asked cautiously.

"Why did you bring me here?" He countered and took another step but La refused to back away. If he was looking for a fight, she would give it to him.

"I brought you here to find Matt but we both know that isn't the reason you stuck around. I know enough about the infamous BK-201 to know that you could have left long before we got to France."

"My reasons are my own," Hei commented and La snorted at his mocking tone, "Dominic doesn't seem to trust you as much as you don't trust me, yet you answer to him. Why is that?"

"You're mighty inquisitive." La mumbled and turned towards the door, with fully intentions to leave Hei and his questions in her room. But Hei grabbed the door just as she opened it. He was so close, to close for her comfort and those eyes that always seemed so empty looked down at her a bit softer than she wasn't used too. She tried shifting but both Hei and the door prevented her from doing so.

"I don't trust him." Hei confessed.

"Good, you shouldn't." La responded and pushed his hand away so she could exist quickly. Ignoring Mao, who'd made himself comfortable outside her door, La proceeded down the hallway.

"So…" Mao ventured looking up at Hei who was watching La retreat in haste.

"She doesn't know." Hei said blankly.

"She doesn't know what? Mao egged on, now fully standing on all fours. He stretched and scratched behind his ear.

"She doesn't know about Yin, but I think Dominic does." Hei stepped out of the room and closed the door behind himself. He started down the hall, the same direction La had went, and Mao followed suit.

"And you had to get all cozy just to find that out?" Mao joked and Hei didn't respond. Mao simply shock his head in amusement and walked with him partner to wherever they were headed.

* * *

**Hello again! Absent much? Yes, yes I know I know. OK, first things first. I've corrected some of my errors in previous chapters, mainly the ones dealing with content and not grammar. However, I'm going to go back through this story and fix those a little later. Second, I was actually at a road block with this story, but I've found new inspiration to write it. For those of you who read my other story, then you know I've recently had a death in my family. Well, instead of mourning and weeping about, my brain has kicked into creative overdrive. Whether that's good or not, I'm not sure. We'll see I guess right?**


	9. From Paris: Tokyo

**From Paris: Tokyo, Japan****:**

La closed the manila folder, satisfied with the information she'd gotten. It wasn't a lot by any means, but enough for her to start. She reasoned within herself that she was not sneaking and had every right to the documents Dominic had on his computer. Although, knowing the truth made her a bit unnerved. She reached to turned off the printer then the computer. Brushing her fingers over the old oak of her fathers old desk, La paused as long lost memories tried to press their way forward.

"He'd sit here for hours…" she mused aloud. Her fingers traced the seams, trailing along until she reached the corner of the desk. A ridge that shouldn't be there made her lips curl upward. She'd made that scratch by accident, when she was five.

"I was in such a hurry. Father was furious…" the desk had been a refurbished antique that her father happened upon. Her fingers ghosted over the spot again and she could almost hear her father yelling. His voice was deep and authoritative but not condemning. That was the first time her father told her about patience.

"Well, this is the first door in this house that was actually open." La jerked her head as Mao walked into the room.

"Curiosity killed the cat." La retorted with a smirk and moved her hand from the desk.

"Good thing I'm dog today then. Speaking of which, you should be more careful when you're poking around in someone's office." Mao casually walked towards her.

"This is my house, I don't have to sneak around." La said despite knowing the truth. Quickly she picked up the manila folder and walked from behind the desk. Switching of the light, she held the door open for Mao to follow her out. They walked down the corridor in silence which La was grateful for. But knowing her companion, the silence wouldn't last long.

"I'm curious," Mao started, trying to keep up with her pace," If Dominic is the business behind NYCO, than what were you and Mathieu?"

"That's a complex question." La said and turned a corner. " I'm a contractor. I do hired jobs as a contractor. I'm sure you can understand that." she looked down at Mao who nodded in the affirmative. As they rounded another corner, La paused the conversation for a moment. Withdrawing a key from her pocket she let Mao in first than closed it behind herself. He took it upon himself to jump on her bed and make himself comfortable. Being a dog, he'd gotten into the habit of circling a spot several times before getting comfortable, as he did just then. La threw the folder on the nearby nightstand and walked to the mirror. She opened the container that held her hair bands and retrieved a blue one.

"And Mat?" Mao pressed on.

"Is my doll." La said matter-of-factly. She pulled her hair up from the back, then with her other hand brushed the excess from her face and into her hold.

"I'm guessing you're not one for morning conversation." the dog joked seeing as he wasn't getting very far.

"Not when someone is fishing for information," La countered, "I'm not my brother. I am not so trusting."

"I've noticed," Mao said and watched as she pulled the fist full of hair into the tiny band. Once she was done, he continued. "You're mistrust seems to extend to him too. Not that it's a bad thing, being on guard has its advantages and disadvantages." He raised up on all fours when La proceeded to walk towards him. She leaned down, pressing her palms into the bed to face him.

"What are looking for?" she asked, dropping her voice just a bit.

"Tell me everything you know about contractor and doll evolution."

"I know enough." she responded quickly, "Why? Does this have to do with why you and Hei went after Mat?"

"It might," Mao offered but said no more. La looked away for a moment, pondering if she should reveal NYCO research information. Her eyes fell on the manila folder that contained some pages regarding that very topic. What could it all mean? Why is her brother being so secretive with her about such trivial information. She herself was an evolving contractor, it isn't as if she would not find out on her own later.

"And the Mitaka Documents?" He asked, pausing La's inner thoughts. She eyed the contractor curiously, going through memories to see if the word came to mind. She opened her mouth to answer but a knock at her door drew her attention.

"La, its time to go." Dominic said from behind the door. La looked down at Mao who was waiting for the answer to his question.

"I don't," she admitted, "but I'm guessing you do. And," La said grabbing her suitcase, the envelope and the dog, "It's something important."

"More than you know." Mao commented as they existed the bedroom.

* * *

"Here, take mine," La said, handing her food off to Hei. She was never one for airplane food and seeing as her companion, whom she was aware of his appetite, had requested only one dinner; felt generous enough to give him hers. Hei looked down at the tray of chicken and steamed vegetables than to the woman who was staring out of the window.

"Keep it," he offered, pushing it to the furthest end of his eating tray and sitting back. La glanced at him through the corner of her eyes. In the dim lights of the plane, she could barely make out his features but could tell that he had his eyes closed. A gentle rock of turbulence made the tray titter closer to the edge. Their gathering at her home didn't dim her perception of him, and this move made her more suspicious.

"You're still hungry, eat the food." La finally said and shifted her weight so that she was closer to the window. She didn't like him being selfless, so unlike the contractor who tried to kill her on several occasions.

"You haven't eaten anything since we left Istanbul." Hei didn't open his eyes to respond to her. When he didn't move the food, she felt the matter was settled. She closed her eyes, choosing instead to focus on the envelope clenched in her grip and not her companion's odd behavior. Resting her head against the window, the coolness of night chilling her forehead, she sank further into her seat. Her mind attempted to wander back to the contents of her manila envelope until a gentle brush against her thigh caused her to jump up. Hei momentarily paused his movements and looked at her questionable before proceeding to reach for her eating tray. La sat stock-still as she watched him unhook the latch, her heart beating faster than normal. Her hand unconsciously pulled the envelope closer to her as the tray fell forward. When Hei leaned slightly away to reach for the food, La responded quickly.

"I don't like airplane food" she admitted and forcefully closed her tray back. Hei looked her, his expression blank and unreadable. La imagined she looked like a disobedient child, caught doing something wrong and she looked away quickly, unable to hold is gaze. The thumping in her chest rose slightly as she could feel his eyes still on her, causing the hairs on her neck to tingle._ Stop staring at me._ She chanted mentally until she heard him shifting in his seat, the familiar sound of the clear foil from the food being pulled back. Satisfied, La quietly released a sigh of relief and curled herself as far away from Hei as possible, less he tried to reach for something else.

_It's not as if I'm doing him a service_. La reasoned. The bland airplane food didn't suit her palate and she knew that Hei would eat anything, regardless of it's taste. If one put it into context, it was like giving away scrapes, or so La decorated it in such a fashion.

"May I take your trash sir?" a flight attendant asked.

"Yes, please." Hei responded in a tone La knew he used for his alias. She peeked over at him, noting that he had eaten the food as she suspected. The man smiled and said thank you. Hei extended the same courtesy as the attendant walked away. La closed her eyes again, turning her attention back to important matters.

_ There is no way, at this aptitude, I can access the information I need to find._ La thought with disdain. She had read the contents of her investigation ten times over during they're flight and found nothing. Not one reference, not one citation to anything remotely connected to the Mitaka Documents. And, even more so, much to her displeasure, there was a file number mentioned that she didn't recognize and referenced her co-worker James. For every research attempt, there was a matching file number to keep them organized. One particular file number, M4TL421, had no reference; yet it appeared several times in recent documents with James as a participant. _A careless move_. She thought half-heartedly. _If it were a secret, surely Dominic would have be smart enough not to name someone._

La rubbed her fingers over the edge of the envelope and gazed at the darkness beyond her window. _M4TL421, why is Dominic and James hiding you? And what are these Mitaka Documents?_ For a moment she thought to ask Hei of these infamous files but dismissed it completely. _As soon as we land I'll get to the bottom of this._

* * *

_Attention passengers, the Pilot has official turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Keep your seatbelts securely fasten until the aircraft comes to a complete stop and the pilot turns the sign off. Please turn off any electrical devices aside from cell phones. We are currently 5 minutes away from Haneda Airport. Thank for flying with us. Tokyo he Youkoso: Welcome to Tokyo_. The flight attendant announced over the speaker. Hei leaned over to look out of the window at the city that he hadn't seen in years. The sky was a deep blue, indicating day break and a sense of nostalgia washed over him. As the plane veered left, dipping it's wings towards the ground, Hell's Gate stood out among the skyscrapers and traditional rooftops. It taunted him, recalling why he'd left in the first place. Flashes of all the things he'd done, the people he'd hurt and lost made Hei frown. _There is nothing to be found here for me anymore._ He gripped the armrest as the plane shook from the outside wind.

"Hei?" a voice called him, and he blinked. Hei directed his eyes towards La who was frowning at him, the airplane blanket pulled up to her chin. His eyes darted between her and the city airport that was quickly approaching.

"Are you okay?" she asked him with mock concern and hit of irritation. Hei turned away from both her and the window. Fingers still gripping the armrest, he closed his eyes.

"I don't like landings." he admitted as the plane jerked and bounced as it hit the ground. A roaring sound from tires speeding across the cement drowned out any noise on the aircraft and Hei's own thoughts. The forced pressed his back to the seat until the plane slowed and came to a complete stop.

* * *

Hello all! I do apologize for the late update. I have been debating rather to continue this story or not. A lame excuse for not updating but the truth nonetheless. I've decided that I will! So rejoice lol.

-CeCe ^_^


	10. From Paris: Roppongi Hills Spa Resort

**_Roppongi Hills Spa Resort, Tokyo, Japan_**:

The giant mahogany and white gate that quickly approached them was an imposing and seemingly out-of-place structure just outside the city center of Tokyo. Dominic had indeed outdone himself when he chose this place for them to reside. As their car came to a gentle halt in the curved driveway, La glanced at the towering gate in muted shock. Not that it was uncommon for her be in such a luxurious resort, her own French cottage home boosted of five bedrooms and an underground lab for NYCO research. Dominic wasn't a man of low means either , profiting from the research of his father. When they did travel together, they never stayed in a hotel short of four stars. Still, for such a mission a simple hotel in the middle of town would have sufficed. Hell, he'd made them take a train from Germany to France. _Is he trying to prove a point or make amends?_ La proposed but hadn't deciphered which would suit her brother's purposes. And as the driver opened her door, she dismissed it, too tired to try to figure out.

"Is this where we're staying?" Mao whispered to La from her cradled arms. She glanced down at him , nodded curtly and turned her attention back to the gate. On a sign adjacent to the wooden structure it read: 'Roppongi Hill's Spa Resort.' _This really is unnecessary._  
With a low squeak, the large aged wooden door slowly opened, revealing a group of women and two men, all dressed in traditional Japanese attire. In the midst of them was a much older shorter woman, a wooden pipe pursed between her lips. Her sunken eyes surveyed the scene before landing pleasantly on Hei who had just emerged from the other side of the car. She stepped forward, the others staying behind until directed to move. La smiled, switching personas as the woman stood directly in front of them. The old hostess bowed low and the group behind her followed suit. Hei returned the courtesy and La mocked his movements effortlessly.

When pleasantries were over, the older woman turned towards Hei and spoke, "Forgive us, we weren't expecting you for another thirty minutes." She side glanced at La, and the young contractor could have swore she saw contempt in her eyes. But it fade just as quickly as it came and the woman was smiling sweetly at her companion.

Hei or rather Lee, scratched the back of his and returned a polite smile, "Our flight landed early. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Walking along side Hei, she waved her pipe dismissively and latched her arm into his. "Nonsense! Don't you worry your handsome face. We were all prepared for you."

The hostess's gaze shifted to La's and smiled tightly at her and gave Hei's arm a gentle squeeze. " Miss Beaudroux, I take it. The men will get your bags. Come along, young man." she pulled Hei forward as the gate started to open. La looked down at Mao who chuckled and watched his friend being pulled away by the lecherous hostess.

"I think she likes him," the dog whispered .

La snorted and followed close behind, "Apparently she hates me," she mumbled to Mao and herself. Hei turned his head, searching for them. His bored eyes found La looking about them. When she finally looked at him, she shrugged as if she hadn't notice his new admirer and turned her attention to the landscape.

On either side of the entryway were spacious gardens, filled with familiar and exotic flora. In the distance were cherry blossom trees that huge over man-made creeks and stone fixtures along with the brief outline of lodging. The air in the place was scented with euphoric aromas like lavender, chamomile and eucalyptus, which La reasoned was purposely done. They walked on a stone path and La noted the serene quietness of it all and wondered if all of Japan was like this.

Clearly this was no ordinary lodging space, as it boosted of numerous traditional style homes separated by personal gardens and staff quietly roamed the grounds. And as they approached what La perceived as the biggest. The shingle ornamented slanted roof, hang over white paneling and a stone foundation. Along side the building were two separate gardens, a cherry blossom tree and a small river. Directly behind it was what appeared to be a small hot spring and a private tea house. Mao shifted and it was then that La realized she'd stopped to admire the home. Quickly, she caught up to the two who'd made it to the genkan.

"It was really just this one small house left, which me made the main office. It has since been restored and renovated into a spa retreat. We offer great massages, usually requiring you to get naked. But a young man like yourself should have no issue with that." The older hostess beamed and La grunted, choosing instead to remove her shoes and slide open the shoji door.

* * *

In the late evening, La slid open the patio door in the office space, allowing fresh air to emit and circulate in the room, Cool breezes blew pass her as she did so and it carried the scent of the makeshift pond which sat amidst the garden. It was a tranquil sight, quite different from her previous one which consisted of going through every NYCO file available. Although she neared the end of the database, she was as close to figuring out what M4TL421 as she was when she started. She guzzled down the reminder of saké in her bowl-shaped cup. Squeezing her cheeks before swallowing, the familiar burning sensation had long since cooled to a soothing warmth in her stomach. The buzzing in her head increased as the alcohol made her feel light-headed. It was a feeling she'd gotten used to over the years, bordering between sober and tipsy.

La glanced back at the one and a half empty bottles of saké that sat next to her laptop and sighed. With a small huff she moved off the frame of the door and sat back in front of illuminated screen. The processing system, which scanned and cross-referenced every file, was at 92% and had yet to reveal anything about James or the case. Out of pure frustration, she slammed the cup on the table and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm wasting time," she mumbled and switched the screen to something else. NYCO could wait until she returned to France, hopefully with Mat in tow. Had the situation been different, she would have ransacked the city trying to find Mat but that approach had failed her one too many times. This time she would have to be more tactful, crafty. They couldn't just need a doll. She mused and glanced over the CIA's website. Surely, if anything would hold some information it would be this public site. Not that she was expecting to find much, but the smallest clue would give a lead.

La scrolled over to the section titled CIA-PANDORA Joint Commission. They have a special interest in him. Recalling that the agency hadn't taken him not once but twice. Because they hadn't removed him from Europe, getting him back was easier in that situation. Then again, they hadn't hired the smartest bunch to do the job. It was a local gang of contractors, known for causing trouble in France. La encountered them once before, and easily connected the dots once she gathered enough clues. And when she burst into their little hide out late in the night, their 'leader' Topalain sang like a canary claiming the CIA paid them a pretty penny to kidnap the doll. From that day forward, La kept Mat close to her side until Hei came.

_Hei…why are you even still round? You're not here to help me get Mat but you don't want the CIA to have him either. What are trying to do? Keep him away from…both of us? _ She thought, looking at the door that connected the office to the rest of the house. Said contractor was currently cooking something, fumes of flavor seeped through the tiny crack in the shoji door. Spices and the sweet smell of cherry blossoms filled the room and she rubbed her nose the smells tingled her senses. Readjusted herself to get more comfortable, La crossed her legs Indian style.

Once the CIA-PANDORA Joint Commission page fully loaded, the first story covered, in bright read letters, address a collaborative research effort with the Syndicate to locate the real stars. Scrolling down more, she read over little things addressing cures of aliments and animal research. They listed some statistics, dating all the breakthroughs and achieves the CIA made in science, nothing that really stuck out. La pursed her lips and glossed over a blurb about a new dieting pill.

"This doesn't make sense. Plenty of dolls exist, but why Mat of all of them?" She chewed her bottom lip and briefly read about PANDORA's donation to an elementary school. She recalled Mao mentioning the strained relationship Hei or the Black Reaper had with the CIA and Syndicate. With such a relationship in mind, employing him seemed all the more puzzling.

_Desperation?_ La wondered, and clicked on a drop-box. The first category to select was contractors. She sat up straight. The headline read in bold about a reception being hosted in a PANDORA building. Next to the article was a picture that struck a memory. Though he was not wearing sunshades she easily recognized him as the man at the park who descended the helicopter. La clinched her fist on her laptop and stared at the man smiling in the picture.

"Dr. Kurt Burstein" she whispered and read further. It was to be held in three days and was invitation only. Apparently, he was an evolutionary scientist for the CIA and was currently working on groundbreaking contractor research.

"How convenient for him. Groundbreaking research my ass." La snorted at the article noting it's irony. Just then, the shoji door slid open and she quickly snapped her laptop shut as Hei poked his head in.

"Dinner is ready." he said and left before she could refuse or deny.

La didn't move, choosing to stare at the half-opened door until she was sure Hei was out of earshot. After which, she reopened the laptop, the backlight lit the dim room once more. She glanced at the door for good measure before turning her attention back to reception announcement. Dinner can wait. Her stomach betrayed her resolve by rumbling rather loudly, she remedied it by pouring another cup of saké. At the moment, finding a way to get into that reception was far more important that eating. Mat was more important. Not just because she wanted him, which she very much did, but the question why loomed in her mind with every day she went without him. Mat was nothing special if compared to other dolls, yet the CIA and Hei seemed to have taken a liking to him for a reason that escaped her. La had thought of every possible scenario and reason. None of which deemed her doll worthy of such attention. Of course, in her mind, he was by far the best doll, comrade and friend that she had the graces of working with. When he was not around, things felt different, empty even. She felt empty. But that was for her own personal reason, even if she didn't fully grasp why she felt such things. Those emotions were for her and only her to have for Mat.

Unconsciously, she reached for the wooden cross that connected them even when he was not around. La hadn't received a specter from him since that day at the pier. An eternity may well have passed from then to now. So yes, food could wait; it was of no help to her at the moment. La stood and proceeded to the genkan while retrieving her phone from her back pocket. She closed the door just a little, least Hei came in while she was on the phone, and called Dominic.

The phone rung twice as she paced on the porch before he finally answered, "Hello?"

"What are you doing?" was the first thing she asked and phone was silent for a moment, minus a soft rustling noise in the background.

"I'm sleeping, which is what people do at this hour." He mumbled and La reasoned he may have tried to sit up, "What is it?"

La paused, trying to find the words, "I found the man who took Mat. He's a scientist for the CIA and I need your help getting me into his reception in a few days. Just say I'm representing father or something."

There was a pause and more rustling then a tired sigh, "The CIA? La, you can't be serious."

She frowned at his choice of words, "I am serious, Dominic. I'm too close to care that he's some pompous American who is..."

"That's not what I'm getting at at all La," he cut her off, "What I mean is, you're going after a doll that has been taken by not only a superpower country but a major international security organization. It's potential suicide for something so trivial."

_Trivial?_ The word resonated in her mind and that familiar feeling of anger was quickly rising.

"Mathieu is not something trivial. Just make my credentials so that I can get in." La responded choosing instead not to argue over this.

"Stop being foolish La," his voice was harsh and just as adamant as hers, "Have you considered the repercussions this could have on NYCO and father's name? What will the international scientific community say if the daughter of Mr. Beaudroux storms in there, demanding a doll from the CIA, which the only evidence you have of them 'stealing' is your own account? It's a rash and selfish plan of action."

La folded her arms over her chest, prepared for an all out war at this point, "It's my nature to be selfish I'm a goddamn contractor! I do what is rational and beneficial for me and me only."

"You play that card when it suits your interest," Dominic retorted and La flinched from the sudden contempt in his voice, "You're no more a proper contractor than I am."

"What the hell does that even mean, a proper contractor?"

"I meant nothing at all. I'm tired La, and I don't wish to finish this conversation. Now, if you please."

She was getting nowhere and La knew reasoning worked better with him. So she tried, "Aren't you in the least bit curious as to why they took him? This is another evolutionary scientist and potential rival of everything father has worked for and he stole," she stressed the word stole in reaction to his earlier statement, "Our doll? Does that not bother you?"

More silence and La was growing evermore frustrated with her brother's indifference. Sure, her initial reasoning for getting him back was selfish but with this new information, the CIA stealing Mat has taken on another meaning.

Dominic finally signed, letting his sister know that he was still on the other end of the receiver, "It's too risky." That was it.

"Fuck you, Dominic." She yelled, hanging up the phone before he could say anything.

"Bastard" La shoved open the shoji door, nearly taking it off its track and almost scaring Mao who'd crept into the room sometime during her conversation. She yanked the half empty bottle of saké off the table and stumbled a bit when she got to the other door.

"Family troubles?" the dog ventured as La stormed pass him.

"Shut up, Mao." She countered, and retreated to the living room where Hei sat. La marched right past him out of the front door.


	11. From Paris: Roppongi Hills Spa Resort II

**_Roppongi Hills Spa Resort, Tokyo, Japan II:_**

Hei woke up to what he presumed to be an empty house except for himself and Mao. A noisy empty stomach urged him off of his futon. He stepped over Mao, who camped in front of the door in his room and proceeded to kitchen. Sunlight seeped through the half closed windows, bring light to the otherwise dark home. The place was far too large for just two people, and as Hei turned the corner he counted two other unused bedrooms.

Light from somewhere was shining into the living area. Hei followed it to the office, where the door was still wide open. He paused, peering into the space. The door to the garden had also been left open. La's computer still set on the desk, the battery dying some time during the night. Next to it was another empty bottle of saké he assumed and an empty cup. Cautiously he walked in fully, glancing about just in-case a certain contractor had returned. The room was empty and Hei closed the door to the terrace. He paused by her computer, debating on whether he should see what was the last thing she found. His stomach overruled the thought propelling him back towards the kitchen. He grabbed the bottle of saké and left.

Despite being a contractor, hunger often took precedence over the former. Hei's stomach once again guided him through the maze of a house. When the kitchen came into view, a growl resonated in his gut. He didn't even flinch at the sound, having become accustom to constant rumble. Eyes trained on the entrance, Hei nearly tripped over…a shoe? He looked down, seeing the small shoe on the floor between the kitchen and living room. It was La's shoe. He sat the empty bottle on the counter and searched for the shoe's mate.

Next to the sofa, he noticed for the first time fingers dangling inches from the tatami floor. Blue eyes scanned the room quickly. Her other shoe deposited near the front entrance. Quietly and with cautious steps, Hei walked around the sofa. Next to the dangling arm was an empty flask, a small ring of dry sake stained the mats where some leaked out. Still fully dressed, the sleeping contractor curled up in a fetal position, her free arm covering her face and resting on the armrest. Brown hair flared out, covering the arm that covered her face and the steady rise and fall of chest left him know she was still asleep.

Curled like that, almost child like, La appeared harmless to him for the first time since Amsterdam. _Calm, frail, helpless even_. He reasoned within himself, looking over her small frame. Sleeping meant La couldn't force him to damn near kill himself. He imagined that she would if she caught him standing over her as such. Still, laying there as she was, forced suppressed memories of another young woman to the forefront of his mind. Although they were nothing alike in features or disposition, the reason why he and La was in Tokyo made him think of Yin. The very reason he left this city was, in so many ways, the reason he came back.

_We are like. I used to be you_. The though ran across Hei's mind before he could stop. A frown settled on his features and Hei knelt to grab the empty bottle. Everything that had transpired from the time he and Yin fled to the last day he held her in his arms flashed in his mind's eye in an instant. He hesitated. What he had tried to preserve through selfish actions, he ended up losing. Had him and Yin not be so close, Izanami would not have existed. And just like him, La had no clue of the dangers she potential posed to herself and every other contractor if she found Mat. By the time she figured it out, it will be too late. It will no longer be them as a team, but La against Mat or whatever thing he would have evolved into. I'm not taking that chance again. Hei resolved in his mind. La aside, his own safety was at stake here if she ever found him.

Hei had been so caught up in his own thoughts, that the muffled voice of the woman across from him caught him of guard.  
"Stop watching me," La's sleepy voice nearly whispered into her forearm. Hei didn't move and stared at her hidden face. Could she see him? Her arm was covering her eyes from his view. She couldn't have peeked from under it, Hei would have noticed that movement. La's chest was still rising and falling at a steady pace. It was hard to tell whether she was talking in her sleep or to him directly. "it's creeping me out," she finished and turned so her back was to him.

"Get up," Hei said doing so himself, "We have things to do today."

Continuing on his original destination to get food, the rustling sound of movement confirmed that La was getting up. She dragged her feet on the floor towards the kitchen, making a soft scratchy sound behind him. Hei opened the refrigerator to grab the items he needed. While still bending over, he side glanced at the woman who was now leaning against the entrance way. Hair in a tangled mess, she tried pushing it from her face even though it flopped back into place. Eventually she gave up trying, choosing instead to scratch her stomach. Hei stiffed a chuckle at this, knowing that she was oblivious of his gaze. She reached up under her shirt, still scratching and yawned causing her eyes to squint. The movement made her shirt lift, revealing parts of her stomach and naval as she relinquished the remaining ounces of sleep with a deep yawn. La moved her hand carelessly and crossed her over her chest, scanning the kitchen area before her gaze settled on him.

For a moment, Hei thought of asking about the night before. More specifically, he wanted to know why she stormed out of the house. When La hadn't move after he announced dinner, Hei acquitted it to her own personal defiance and not something serious. Throughout their journey, he'd noted that her actions were almost always a direct reaction from stubbornness mixing with elements of distrust. Other times, however, seemed just because of some reasoning she'd formulated. So when La come storming into the living, from what he assumed was a sake induced anger, he was curious.

La shifted her feet and he blinked, "What's for breakfast?" she asked him, breaking the stretched silence. Hei redirected his attention towards the contents of the refrigerator, grabbing items he need. He kicked the door closed as he cradle food in his arms and sat it on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

La did a barely audible 'keh' and pushed off the wall, "A buffet again. I'm going for a bath; maybe by then you'll be finished with your mini restaurant."

Hei didn't look up but proceeded to remove items from their protective covering "You take long enough," his comment matching her own sarcasm. He heard her snort without actually seeing as she exited the kitchen.

As it would turn out, Hei's friendly banter wasn't that far off. He'd finished breakfast before La returned and was in the process of sitting food on the table. While placing the last bowl where they would dine, a sudden buzzing sound made him pause immediately. Hei glanced about himself, searching first for anything he could use as a weapon. La? Was his first though, but she wouldn't be so ominous. The noise ceased for a few seconds, trained ears strained to find its source as it started again. Cautiously, Hei ventured towards the living area, crouched and on the defensive. Hei kept close to the wall as the buzzing sound grew louder. As he got closer, he realized the sound was coming from the sofa. Wedge between the two seat cushions was La's phone that vibrated noisy from its trapped space. Hei had half a mind to leave it be. Whoever was calling, it wasn't for him to know. But he pulled the vibrating thing from between the cushions anyway, the caller ID revealing it was Dominic.

Hei answered, "Dominic," his voice passive. There was a short pause before the other spoke.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. I had no idea you two were on such familiar terms, Hei." Whether he was being funny or contentious, Hei couldn't place it just yet.

"La is busy at the moment. If you're calling, I assumed it was important." Hei responded, trying to keep the conversation as neutral as possible. He had yet to shake the uneasiness Dominic made him feel. Even more so, La's behavior around him made Hei question her brother's overall intention. She was too humble, submissive and for such an emotional contractor, _fearful_ maybe.

Dominic chuckled "You've answered her phone without her knowledge. How presumptuous of you BK201."

"I'll tell her you called," Hei said, now wanting nothing more than to get off the phone.

"What are your intentions with my sister, BK201?" his voice had taken on a different tone, darker than before. If Hei hadn't seen him in person, one might take it as Dominic being a concerned brother. But Hei knew better, or at least he assumed and the sudden switch in attitude further seethed his distrust. Hei narrowed his eyes.

"My intentions are my own," Hei responded calmly, "None of which would but La in danger."

"Hm, a personal burden that you bare? That's hardly a reason to entertain my sister's folly over a doll, and for so long too. La can be quite rash, rushing into things without thinking. Her responses are almost…human, so uncharacteristic for a contractor. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You sound a little envious," Hei dared. There was another pause before a brief grunt.

"Yes, well, when you are one such as me, having supernatural abilities would be a welcomed luxury. I wouldn't classify it as envy…"  
"Jealousy?" Hei interjected his statement, his composure slipping for a moment.

"Observant aren't you, BK201 or should I call you the Black Reaper?" Dominic said the name with a twinge of disgust at his antagonizing. Hei gripped the phone tighter, wanting nothing more than to be face to face with him.

"When you're a contractor, you always have to be watchful of potential dangers. Especially from those you feel you can trust. Complacency is a luxury we can't afford" Hei mocked the man's statement.

Mao walked into the room at that moment. He went unnoticed by Hei. Though his eyes we void of emotion, his face was hard, staring intently at the wall in front of him and focusing on the conversation.

Dominic clicked his tongue "Learned from pass mistakes have we, good for you. So, it is guilt that compels you, then? Ah, but I didn't call to inquire of your reasoning for retrieve a doll that has no significance to you at all. That is, unless Mathieu is of some use to you? You are doll-less after all, for the life of me I can't imagine why. Such dubious behavior won't sit well with my little sister. La isn't one to overlook being used, even if it is to remedy your conscience." There was hint of sarcasm in voice though it remained serious.

Hei averted his gaze to Mao, who jumped on the sofa. He clenched his fist, choosing not to respond. Dominic chuckled again and sighed, "I'm right, yes? You're not the only observant one, Hei. At any rate, do tell La I called. And thank you for this little chat. It was very informative." With that he hung up.

Hei held the phone to his ear for a moment before dropping it on the sofa.

"Who was that? For second there, I thought you were going to murder the door." Mao joke and followed his comrade back to the dining area. Hei sat down, replaying the conversation in his mind. If La was oblivious to the potential effects of an evolved doll, Dominic certainly was not. He made that very clear. It wasn't simple mistrust or brotherly love that fueled the contention in his voice. No, not with the way La seemed to keep him at a distance. When Hei had asked him why he was disclosing NYCO info, Dominic responded it was because of his sister's trust. But Hei was aware of two things: La didn't trust him like Dominic insisted and her expression at that moment proved it. His intention was something apart from his sister's wants.

He gritted his teeth, and stared in the distance. The only question left was why. _Is Dominic even aware of the danger he's putting La?_ _Or better, does he care?_ The though made his fingers flex, an inkling to use his contract, though his threat was miles away.

"Earth to Hei." Mao said and jumped on the table, finally getting Hei's attention. "Your hand" Hei looked at Mao than his hand that had been so tightly clenched in a fist his knuckles were turning pale. When he opened his palm, there were four distinctive red marking from his nails digging into his skin.

"Who was on the phone?" Mao asked again. It took everything in Hei to not lost composure once again.

"Dominic," he said begrudgingly.

* * *

With a thud, La graceless sat her laptop in front of Hei before sitting across from him where he food had been.

"Look familiar?" She asked while grabbing her tea-cup. Hei, who had been in the process of finishing the remainder of his rice, lower his bowl to gaze at the screen.

He blinked then looked back at the woman who didn't withhold her smug expression, "The man from the CIA." he answered as Mao came around to view the picture.

La grabbed her chopsticks before commenting, "His name is Kurt Burstein. Apparently he's an evolutionary scientist for the CIA-PANDORA joint organization." she picked at her vegetables before finding one she deemed desirable to eat.

"A scientist?" Mao questioned getting a closer look, "I've never heard of Burstein."

La swallowed and pointed her chopsticks at the dog. "Exactly, he doesn't actually have a career yet, I think that's why he took Mat. I read that they are having a reception for him because of some 'new research' he has. Pretty damn convenient for him to have a doll with some experience outside of being a contractors spy boy."

"And you're going to the reception." Hei said. La's gazed deviated for a moment. The fleeting look in her eye didn't go unnoticed to him, although he couldn't quite place what it was.

"Was tha…" Mao spoke up but was immediately cut off by the woman sitting across from them.

"Not exactly," she glared at the dog before going back to her food "I did find out he's been spending some time in a place called Kabukicho."

"In the Shinjuku district?" both male and dog said at the same time.

La finished off the remainder of food before speaking again, "You know it?"

"How did you find this out?" Hei asked, avoiding her previous question and sliding the laptop in her general direction.

"Does it matter?" La countered, and removed her laptop from the table, "The point is, if you know where and what is, tell me."

Hei and Mao exchanged a glance before the former stood up from the table, taking his bowl with him into the kitchen. La stood up too, not willing to get denied a lead twice. It was bad enough Dominic had refused to help but now Hei. True, they weren't partners or even friends. But, as much as it frustrated her to admit to herself, he was the only help she had at the moment. Of course, he would never find that out.

"Hei!" she called after him, with fully intention to threaten him into giving her information if he refused.

"Kabukicho is a red light district." Mao cut in. La glanced back at him, then back towards the kitchen, but the dog continued. "It has a reputation of not being to friendly to women, especially foreigners, and some other things. There's number of different reasons he could be there, not good reasons either."

"So stay here if you're so worried Mao," La answered, a bit of mischievousness in her tone. Mao shook his head and grunted, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth just as Hei returned bowl free.

"I've come this far," the dog said walking up to his partner who was looking at La.

She smiled victoriously, something that neither of them had seen her do in the past. "That settles it then."

* * *

**AHHHH, there is so much dialogue here! I hope this chapter isn't to disappointing! ****I've had to re-watch some DTB episodes to make sure Hei responds in my story like he would in the anime. It feels a bit OOC to me, but that could be my own criticism of myself. In any case, more chapters to come! Trust me, the next one will be more action field and dramatic! Tootalu!**

-CeCe ^_^


	12. From Paris: Kabukicho, Japan

**_From Paris: Kabukicho, Japan_**:

It was an unfortunate evening for rain. Locals and tourist crowded under awnings, and greeted street vendors to bargain for warm meals before retiring home. A constant drizzle on the backdrop of sunset hummed with the noise of cars and business trucks. The droplets hit the polluted sidewalks, mixing with the stench of urban life and back alleys. But most this went ignored by the crowd, anxious to relieve themselves of the daytime stresses with nighttime adventures.

Through the back alleys and neon signs of the Kabukicho district, huddled under an awning to escape the tedious drops, La pulled the collar of her coat closer around her throat. She surveyed the area through tinted red-framed sunglasses, though the sun was close to hiding behind the horizon. Shifting her weight to the right, in particularly high black heels, La chewed on her stick of mint gum and watched as two men glanced at her and tried to avoid a slowly forming puddle of water. She smiled at them and waved as they disappeared into the red light district, with a little reluctance from one of them. Once they were out of sight, her smile faded.

The light drizzle made the smells of garbage more potent, and La hated the way muddy bits splashed against her bare legs as she walked down the alley. It was enough to make her turn back and abandon this whole mission. She'd comforted herself with the thought of killing Burstien when she caught up to him. An entertaining thought that lasted only for a moment. Killing him won't due just yet, whatever information he had, La needed. Instead, La reveled in thought of finding Mat first, then killing Burstien slowly for indirectly degrading her in this moment.

She slowed her pace to resemble that of a lost tourist. If the rumors where true, and this place capitalized from lost foreigners, particularly women, surely she'd be a target. That and, the knee-length black jacket and red sunglasses should draw enough attention in and of itself. La rummaged through the front pocket, retrieving her cellphone and reviewing the last message Hei sent. _Don't get yourself killed_. She snorted. The likelihood of her, a contractor, getting killed in a place like this was very slim. Hei knew this but the warning was well received and, in the event of an unlikely emergency, Mao was playing lookout on the rooftops.

La paused, looking up to see if she could spot the contractor dog on the shingle rooftop of the buildings surrounding her. At the moment, she could hardly see anything as darkness crept in and her view was blurred by rainwater.

"Oi," La stiffened at the voice, but played deaf as the footsteps approached from behind, "Eh there."

She forced the tension to leave her shoulders. Gradually, La lowered her head and looked over her shoulder, one delicate hand rising the glasses up to her forehead.

"Moi?" she asked, forcing her already deep French accent to stand out more.

The man was rather disappointing in her opinion. He was skinny and tanned by the looks of it, but she attributed that to his nationality. The man's accent wasn't exactly Japanese. His hair was a wild mess of flyaways, some flatted from the drizzle. He scrubbed at the stubble on his chin, a cigarette dangling between his lips and stopped just a few feet in front of her. La was unimpressed.

"This ain't the best spot to be daydreaming," he said fishing in his pocket for a lighter. When he found, he lit his cigarette, turning his head to blow the smoke away.

La turned further to him, pushing the sunglasses up on her head, "I guess. But I was looking for a friend."

He sniffed and rubbed at his nose with his thumb and the knuckle of this point finger, "Ain't gonna find him up there."

"Oh," La looked up again, "I know. The shingles just look nice with the water dripping from them like that, you know." She directed her attention back to the man who'd taken a special interest in her bare legs. Unconsciously, she crossed one leg over the other, "I better get going though. I fear I might be lost."

He balanced the cigarette between his teeth and took a step closer, "Where were you meeting your friend? Maybe I can help."

La, against her persona, sized him up. The man looked rather bored with this whole encounter but shady enough that he might be of some use. Her glaze shifted to the left where two men across the street walked slowly by, seemingly uninterested in their conversation.

Her eyes flickered back to the man as he took another step forward. "I'm Jun, if that makes you feel better."

"I think I can find my way," La finally said, noticing how the two stopped suddenly, "But thank you."

She took a step back and turned on her heels to walk away, but Jun grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him.

"Eh, now, I'm just trying to be nice here and help you." He said, a hint of agitation in his voice. Jun smelled of cheap liquor, aftershave and tobacco. With all her willpower, La forced herself not to use her contract on him.

"Please, let me go" La whispered and stood still. She faked fear, forcing her limbs to rumble slightly in his hold.

"Be quite," he warned and La peeked over her shoulder at his expression, "You see those guys over there?"

She followed his line of sight. Her expressions blank as she watched the two men across the street and nodded. They lingered for a few minutes before carrying on their way.

Jun held her for a few more seconds before turning her to face him, "Those guys are always out, looking for lost idiots like you. If I'da let you leave, they probably would have," he paused shaking his head, "they'da done some bad shit."

La was silent, unsure of whether she should be grateful or annoyed with Jun's heroic interference. She blinked at him. Jun took a long drag from his cigarette before discarding the butt on the pavement.

"C'mon, there's a small restaurant around the corner. I'll get you drink and we can find your friend. You look pretty shaken up" He said and waited for her to accept his offer.

La didn't move immediately, and Jun sighed impatiently, rubbing his hand through his hair, much to her amusement. "Either come with me, or wait for a guy to rape you."

"Okay," La said slowly, glancing behind her before looking back at him, "Let's go."

Jun didn't waist time in grabbing her hand and practically pulling La through the damp streets. The restaurant was literally around the corner, tucked away between what looked like two shady brothels. There was no sign indicating it was an eatery but Jun pushed open the doors and the telltale smell of fried foods filled her sense.

It was fairly empty, save a few unruly people in the corner. Jun kept her close to his side until they were seated at the bar. An older woman presented a paper menu that saw better days. La thanked her but it was Jun who ordered the drinks and appetizer.

La glanced at him, he was lighting another cigarette. She directed her attention to the others there. A woman was sitting on a man's lap giggling as he whispered something to her. Two other women, American La assumed, were sitting rather close. The blonde on the right had her leg outstretched over the other's thigh. The woman on the left, brunette toyed with a drink at her lips in one hand, the other place casually on the outstretched thigh. La watched as the woman sipped the remainder of her liquor, and her tongue slithered through the glass until it circled around a piece of ice. She reached up, cradling the other's neck in her palms before pulling her in for a kiss, the ice passing from one tongue to the other. Then, almost without warning, the woman's glaze shifted to La, as they pulled apart.

She licked her lips and La looked away quickly, just as their food as placed in front of them. Their drinks, two shot glasses of saké and La was grateful for Jun's choice. She grabbed the glass and, despite herself, glanced back in the direction of the women. Both of them had their eyes fixed on her. The brunette caressed her hand from the back of the blonde's neck, down the side and over her breast, all why eyeing La.

"You into that?" Jun's question caught her off guard and she jumped with genuine surprise and looked away, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"No, I was just…" La stammered, taking advantage of the food and eating some so she wouldn't have to explain. Jun chuckled, downing his shot in one go and flagging the bartender for another. La grabbed her drink and finished it almost as quickly as him. _Keep it together_. She thought and licked the residue from her top lip.

"Expect that stuff in Kabukicho," Jun said and nodded at his new drink, "That's nothing."

"You've visited this district a lot?"

He snorted, "I work in this district, mademoiselle."

La raised a brow at his teasing and this new information. The bartender also brought La another and she drunk it a bit slower, aware that being drunk would not fare well with her plan. "You knew I was French?"

Jun nodded, "I have a cousin from Viet Nam. He moved to Nice some years back. I visited him," pushed his shoulders back and down and cracked his neck, "I didn't care for the French too much."

"I'm sorry to hear that," La smiled, propping her elbow on the counter and resting her chin there, "So, let me guess, Thailand? You don't look Japanese."

Jun licked his lips, lighting another cigarette and turning so that he was facing La fully. He shook his head in the negative, "Cambodia."

La hummed aware of how his shifted position decreased the distance between them, "Cambodia," she let the words roll from her tongue, purposely crossing her leg over the other, knowing that it would raise the hem of her jacket and brush against his pant leg, "Why come to Japan?"

Jun signaled for more drinks but kept his eye on her, "I gotta have a reason?"

"No," La said, toying with her drink glass, "I suppose you don't. So you work in the Kabukicho district, huh?"

Jun leaned forward a little, dropping his hand on her exposed knee, "Yeah, I'm a delivery guy."

La blinked, her eyes feeling a bit heavy for having only on two drinks. She titled her head at him and squinted at the hand on her knee. Jun just smiled, the first time all night and gave her knee a little massage with rough hands.

"By the way," his voice was foggy, distant and low, "Where is your friend again? I wouldn't want her to start worrying"

La swayed, blinking rapidly at the sudden heaviness in her head and her blurred visions. She looked up at Jun who faded in and out of focus. The glass slipped from her fingers and tried, in vain, to shoo the hand from her knee. She teetered and tried to stand but Jun caught her by the waist.

"Japanese wine can be strong if you never hand it before," his breath tickled her ear and La tried to push him away with what little strength she had left. They were standing now, Jun holding up her weight with his. He practically dragged her towards the staircase in the back of the room.

"P—put me," her voice was strained almost hoarse as she fought the urge to faint, "down…let me go."

Jun grunted and propped her up against the wall and bent down, "Loose my job if I did that. What'dya say you're name was, again?"

La didn't answer him. She gazed at the bartender who was wiping the counter where they just sat, then to the couple in the corner who seemed oblivious. Finally, to the two woman who were still smiling in their direction.

He wrapped his arms around her thighs and hoisted her over his shoulder. The movement as too swift for La and she nearly throw up the food she's just eaten. They walked up a few stairs and into a dim lite room before Jun dropped her to the floor.

Everything was spinning and hazed and La tried to blink the dizziness away. She looked up at the ceiling fan above her while distant footsteps drew closer. From the rhythm, she assumed it was two people. La extended one of her arms and twisted so that she was on her side. She tried grabbing at anything, though she could hardly see, but through the haze two pair of boots stopped in front of her and La craned her neck to get a view of their faces. It was hard to do but she could barely make out an outline. She did, however, make out Jun who walked from around her. The men talked in a language she couldn't understand but knew it was an oriental language. One of them dug in his pocket pulling out she assumed was cash and handing it over to Jun.

Once the transaction was done, Jun bent down, "You remember my friends from earlier right? The one's across the street? Eh, put your hand down. These guys are gonna take good care of you, mademoiselle."

La resisted whatever Jun had given her for as long as her strength allowed. She wasn't particularly fond of being drugged but succumbed to its effects nonetheless. It was the reason she came her right? "Damn it," she murmured and let go.

* * *

_A/N: Don't try this abroad kids! There is a reason they came out with the movie Taken and it's sequel! LOL_

-Cece ~.^


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